Of Tea and Tension
by Raeni12345
Summary: Emotion teas are being sold as drugs in Alice's world. Hatter and Alice return to Wonderland to search for answers, only to find that Hatter is the prime suspect.
1. Chapter 1

**Characters are the brainchild of the writers of Syfy - I own nothing.**

**Sorry to everyone who read the first draft... I made some changes (hopefully for the better) though the general chapter is the same. **

**Please read and review. I love reviews! Constructive criticism is always welcome. As are plot bunnies.  
**

_Hatter trembled as he felt the tea taking hold. He could feel his ability to lie dissolving away, a disconcerting enough feeling on its own. But there was something else too. His heart felt unbearably heavy in his chest. He felt like crying. He felt worthless and remorseful. Horror gripped him as he realized at last what the Honesty had been mixed with._

"_Guilt?" His voice came across thickly, as though it was an effort to force the word out. "You laced the Honesty with Guilt?" He clenched his eyes shut as he felt the heat of tears behind them. His face did nothing to hide his agony._

_Alice's face contorted with rage, and she wheeled to face Jack. "You did WHAT?" she screeched, lunging towards him. Two suits immediately sprang forward and restrained her, pulling her back several steps._

_Jack turned toward her, his face an emotionless mask. "Alice, I don't think you should see this," he said calmly - too calmly. Then he nodded at the guards and they began to pull her toward the door. She gave a yell and wrenched one arm free, using it to hit one of the suits in the neck, before flipping the other over her shoulder onto the hard floor. But three more guards were on her in an instant, and she was successfully dragged through the door, screaming obscenities at Jack as she went._

_The door closed behind them with an ominous click. Hatter panted and groaned, fully under the effects of the tea now, and they had just removed his one lifeline._

_Jack leaned forward and planted a hand on either arm of Hatter's chair. _

"_Now tell us," he demanded, "how the tea got into the oyster world."_

_..._

It was a warm evening, and Alice was sitting at the table in Hatter's flat, filling out paperwork for two of her judo students. They would be taking their tests soon – one to become a yellow belt, one to become a green.

Hatter had been sitting on the couch watching television, a little too loudly for Alice's liking, but she had managed to mostly tune it out. It was just the news on anyway. Hatter watched the news a lot, fascinated by the wealth of information he could glean from the "telly". When it came to learning anything about her world, Hatter was a sponge, absorbing everything he could. But for the moment he was otherwise occupied in the bathroom up the hall.

It had been two months since they had been reunited in Alice's world, and she was surprised at how quickly she had gotten used to him always being there, in her life, in her world. He just fit, amazingly well. It still plagued her sometimes, her old fear - that he would leave her, especially after some of the fights they still had (both having matching hot tempers). He was always quick to pull her in and assure her that he would never leave, that he couldn't leave her. And she hoped he was telling the truth. Because she was starting to not be able to imagine her life without him.

Alice put the pen down, and stood up, stretching her back. The TV really was loud, she thought, and walked over to the couch to pick up the remote.

And froze.

"... newest rave drugs on the market have already caused the deaths of of three people. Called Bliss, Excitement and Desire, the drugs are reported to have the effect of heightening those emotions in the user..."

"HATTER!" Alice's shriek sounded unearthly, and froze the blood in Hatter's veins. The bathroom door flew open with a bang, and Hatter tore down the hallway, pants still around his knees. He had never heard a sound like that come out of her mouth. He was sure she was being attacked or dying or something horrible.

He found her, half perched on the armrest, mouth open, eyes wide, face white. She pointed at the TV screen, and he turned, uncertainly, toward it.

The image on the screen was of small eye-dropper vials of all-too-familiar colored liquids. And the calm voice of the reporter continuing, "... effects take hours to wear off, even in small doses, but seem to have no lasting effects. However police are warning that these drugs are dangerous and highly addictive, and they are asking the public to consider the potentially fatal consequences before trying these new highs. For three young people, it is already too late. Jennifer Stanton, reporting."

For a long moment, they both remained frozen, staring at the television in shocked silence. The news reporters had moved on to another topic, but neither of them noticed.

"Oh my... god," Alice finally intoned, her voice and hands shaking.

"Emotion teas," Hatter agreed, his voice far less steady as well. "How the hell...?" He blinked hard, and shook his head, his mind flying in ten different directions simultaneously. And he suddenly realized that his pants were still around his ankles. How he had made it this far without landing flat on his face, he didn't know.

Alice was still staring at the TV, so Hatter slowly reached over and clicked the remote, and the TV screen faded to black. She turned and looked at him then, her eyes full of fear and anger and shock.

"How did emotion tea get here? I thought it was all destroyed when the casino fell. And who would be crazy enough to sell human emotions to other humans? It's made from humans. That is just sick!" Her words started spilling over each other as they rushed from her mouth. "How can this be happening? This can't happen here."

Hatter reached for her, half to comfort her, half to calm his own racing mind. But she sidestepped his arms, not at all in the mood for a hug.

Instead, she violently grabbed the front of his shirt, and he feared for a moment that she was going to flip him onto the floor. "We have to do something, Hatter! We have to find out who's doing this. We can't let it... that... happen here." her voice started to trail off and her eyes got very bright and wet. Then she shook her head, anger back in her eyes. "I need to talk to Jack!"

Hatter bit his lip hard at the idea, even as he felt himself nodding, even as his mind reluctantly agreed. But it niggled him negatively that Jack was the first course of action Alice had come up with. He hadn't planned on her seeing Jack ever again. Heck, he hadn't planned on seeing Jack ever again. They were a world away from each other, and for that, he had been thankful.

And then it struck him. Would it even be possible to get a message to Jack? If all had gone according to the new king's plan, the looking glass would have been shut down weeks ago, to prevent rioting tea-heads from trying to get emotions from their source.

Alice was searching Hatter's face, waiting for him to come up with an answer, a plan, like he always seemed to do. But she didn't like what she was reading in his face, traces of... jealousy? Really, at a time like this? But also something else. Uncertainty. Reluctance maybe.

He cleared his throat. "We do need to get a message to Jack... we do! But I'm not sure how. The looking glass, they would've shut it down after that last visit. And I don't know any other way..."

"Maybe it will still be open!" Alice jumped on the slight possibility, immediately. If there was any chance at all, she was going to take it. It was her world, now, that was being threatened, and if there was anything she could do to stop it from turning into Wonderland...

Hatter noted the ferocity in Alice's face, and knew they would be going to the abandoned warehouse tonight, regardless. "I'll get me hat," he said finally.

...

Despite the warmth of the evening, the inside of the warehouse was cool, almost cold. The metal stairs clanged under their feet as they made their way toward the corridor that housed the looking glass.

Neither of them had said anything the entire way there. Alice was fighting back a little fear at the thought of returning to Wonderland – she had meant it when she had said, before returning to her world, that she had enough of Wonderland for a lifetime. It had changed her for the better, and had given her Hatter, but it had taken her father, and had been full of peril and fear and pain. And it was a world that had been thoroughly destroyed by emotion teas, the same teas that were, somehow, now being leaked to her world. That thought alone kept her moving forward, grim determination on her face.

Hatter was battling his own unease. What if something had happened on the other side of the looking glass? What if it wasn't safe? He suspected, since the teas were somehow getting through, that the looking glass might be active, but if it was, it might also mean that Jack no longer controlled the looking glass. Wonderland was a dangerous place normally. Add political upheaval to the list... this could really spell peril for him and Alice. Thoughts of all the dangers they had been through when they had last been there flooded his mind. He had nearly lost her so many times.

And then they stood, in front of the looking glass, the gold-gilded "mirror" that looked so out of place in the industrial setting. Their reflections stared back at them, looking tense and nervous.

Hatter pulled Alice slightly behind him, and reached a hand out, tentatively touching the surface of the glass.

It rippled slightly under his hand, his fingers moving beyond the surface.

It was still active.


	2. Chapter 2

_Plummeting again, swirling chaotic colors, struggling to remember to breathe._ Then an abrupt eight foot drop from the ceiling onto a cement floor only slightly cushioned with grass and dandylions.

Before he even had a chance to take a breath, Alice landed directly on top of him, pushing out what little air remained in his body. He groaned loudly, as pain shot up his ribcage.

_He had asked, no begged, Alice to stay on her side of the glass. The portal was supposed to be closed, and the fact that it was open set off every alarm bell in his head. "It could be dangerous!" he had said._

_And had immediately regretted it, as Alice's jaw line hardened and eyes narrowed. "I'm a black belt, remember?" she had hissed, as she shoved him angrily through the looking glass, and fell in after him._

Alice was a little breathless, but unhurt. Hatter, on the other hand, took a long time to catch his breath, and even longer to move. He was holding his ribcage. Alice wondered how many times he had sustained similar injuries because of her.

"You okay?" She reached down a hand to help him up. He shifted a bit, gingerly, and pulled himself up on her arm.

"Where the hell are we?" His forehead was wrinkled with confusion. This was most definitely not the ornate, brightly lit hall that he was expecting to land in. This was a dimly lit, narrow corridor, filled with water, and with broken light fixtures hanging dangerously close to the water's surface.

For Alice, it was bad deja vu.

"I think this is where I landed the first time I came here," she said, glancing past Hatter and down the hallway. "Though the landing was much softer this time," with a rueful smirk in his direction. Her tantrum on the other side of the glass seemed to be momentarily forgotten.

Hatter winced slightly as he bent down to scoop up his pork-pie hat that had rolled away from him when he landed. A couple of flips and it was back where it belonged, perched on top of his chaotic hair.

"Right then, we need to get to the palace."

...

None of this is right, Hatter thought, fighting his growing apprehension.

First, the looking glass had dropped them in an abandoned storehouse across town from the palace, then, when they had finally made it through the narrow streets (Alice practically cutting off all blood-flow to his hand as her old fear of falling resurfaced), and to the bridge that would lead to the palace, they had promptly been arrested by a group of suits, claiming that they were trespassing in a restricted zone.

Hatter had tried to explain who they were, while Alice demanded to be taken to see Jack, but it was to no avail, until the party was intercepted by a very shocked and nervous looking Nine of Clubs, who ordered their immediate release, and apologized profusely all the way down the hallway to the gaudy red and white room they were now sitting in, waiting for Jack.

...

His apprehension got much worse the moment Jack and Duchess walked into the room. Something was definitely... off? Wrong? Eerily familiar?

The last time he had seen Jack, it had been the two whirlwind days preparing to be sent through the looking glass to Alice's world. Jack had been regal, and still very much in control, but had been far more relaxed then the first time they had met. He had even shown a bit of a sense of humor, and a great deal of patience (as Hatter had made it a bit of a game to try and draw out Jack's deeply buried real emotions – "crack jack" he'd called it). And Jack had seemed happy (possibly for the first time in his life).

The Jack that stood before them now was anything but. He still held tightly to his regal air, but he looked gaunt and tense, and his deeply buried emotions now hovered, dangerously, just below his skin. But it was Jack's eyes that caused Hatter's skin to crawl. He had seen that look far too many times.

He and Duchess remained frozen for a moment, just inside the doorway, as they stared at their visitors.

Then it started. "How did you get here?" Jack demanded

Alice looked at him, a little confused. "Through the looking glass, how else?"

Jack pressed his lips together for a moment. "The looking glass wasn't on. We are always careful to drain it of all power between uses. And I was told they found you on the bridge, not in the chamber." His voice took on an almost accusing edge.

Alice caught the tone, and bristled. "It dropped us in the empty building, just like last time."

Jack's eyebrow shot up at that. "Which building?"

"Across town," Hatter interjected. "About three blocks from the Headquarters."

Jack's brow knit, and he pursed his lips again. Definitely not as in control as before, Hatter thought to himself, but didn't say anything.

The silence lasted an awkward moment, then finally Alice burst.

"Someone is selling emotion tea in my world! It's already killed three people."

Jack and Duchess both jumped at this, and something flickered through Jack's eyes for a second before he steeled himself. But Hatter, ever observant, caught it.

"You already knew that!" he accused.

Jack released a sigh, and sat down hard into a chair. "My operatives told me. We've known for a bit over a week now," he admitted.

"What operatives?" Hatter demanded.

"White Rabbit," Jack said reluctantly. Both Hatter and Alice reacted violently to that.

"WHAT?" Alice felt anger building in her stomach. "The White Rabbit that kidnapped all the people from my world for the casino?" She felt growing horror.

"They are loyal to me now," Jack said, matter-of-factly, shifting slightly under the burning gazes of his two guests. "We're trying to rebuild Wonderland. There are things from your world that can help with that. But we never leave the portal open or unguarded."

"Are you still making tea?" Alice demanded, bluntly, forcing eye contact with Jack.

"No, of course not!" Jack's eyes betrayed his hurt at the question, before he masked again. "There's still tea out there, but no new tea is being made."

"So how is the tea getting into my world?" Alice's eyes got bright.

"I don't know, Alice," he responded. "I'm hoping that you might have some answers."

Jack's eyes left her face, darting quickly to Hatter's, before he looked back to Alice again.

But Hatter knew.

"Oi!" he protested, angrily. "I have nothing to do with this! I didn't even know about it until I saw the news."

Alice's mouth dropped open. "You think Hatter is doing this?" she squeaked, shock causing her voice to rise an octave.

Jack and Duchess exchanged a look. Alice could see doubt written plainly in Duchess' eyes – they were far more expressive and human now then the first time she had seen her. Jack just looked uncomfortable. And now neither of them could look at Hatter or Alice.

"There are members of my council," Jack said finally, "that feel that, with Hatter's past being what it is, that he is a likely suspect, especially since he is living in your world. And a lot of the tea from his shop has never been found."

"Of course it hasn't – my shop was ransacked and robbed. The tea is long gone." Hatter's eyes were dark. He was really starting to wish they had never seen the news story and had stayed at home.

"The council, they're going to want to question you." Jack finally looked back at Hatter.

Hatter threw his head back with an aggravated sigh that turned into a groan. "Bloody fantastic," he muttered.

...

Jack was barely hanging on to his composure as he left the room to assemble the council. Between Alice's anger and Hatter's piercing looks, he felt like he had been stripped bare in a demented game of crack-jack. He looked behind him to ensure that he was not being followed (thankfully, Duchess had remained with Alice and Hatter). Then he slipped down a side hallway toward his chambers. He would need something strong to get him through today.

…

When the door clicked shut behind Jack, Hatter turned toward Duchess. "How long has he been back on tea?"

To both his and Alice's surprise, the statuesque woman's perfect face crumpled, and tears welled up in her eyes. Without any tea in her system – she had stopped taking any teas the day after the fall of the casino, as painful as going cold-turkey had been – she was not nearly as capable of hiding her feelings as Jack.

"He hasn't been the same since Court." She spoke mournfully. Hatter tensed slightly at the mention of the antiquated tradition.

"Court?" Alice had noticed Hatter's reaction.

"They haven't held Court for... longer then most can remember," he intoned. But the idea of Court made his blood run cold. It always ended in an execution. He didn't say that part out loud.

He didn't need to. "The Queen was a horrible woman, and she was a terrible mother, but..." Duchess looked down at her hands in her lap. "Having to order her beheaded, it nearly tore Jack apart." A large tear found its way down her cheek.

Alice gasped and covered her mouth.

Duchess wiped the tears from her face with her little finger, and rose. "He has to fight to show he is strong enough. Not everyone is a supporter."

As soon as the door closed behind Duchess, Alice turned to Hatter. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said.

Hatter pulled Alice toward his chest and nodded into her hair. "Me too."

...

Jack sat at the head of the long table, flanked by eight chairs – four on either side. Seven of these chairs were now occupied by Aces – two from each suit, although one Spade was missing. And standing at the foot of the table, waiting uncomfortably, were Hatter and Alice.

The King's calm demeanor was back, his face pristine, thanks to a sip of contraband. He coolly eyed the council before him, as they waited, silently, for the last member.

Finally, the door behind Hatter and Alice opened, and Jack put his hand to his chest in greeting. "Lord Devillius."

Hatter and Alice turned slightly to see the newcomer. Dressed in a black suit with a white emblazoned spade on it, and wearing a derisive sneer, was an all-too-familiar piece of their past.

Dodo.

**AN: For anyone who hasn't read it - my oneshot "Justice" is a missing scene from this story (that Duchess is making reference to). **

** I should mention, that all of my Alice 2009 stories (unless otherwise stated) are interconnected. They all have a common history (in this case, the premise set in "How He Left"). They are all meant to be stand-alone stories as well though, so it doesn't require that you read my other tales (though I'd love it if you did), but it might reference them once in a while.  
**

**_Hope you enjoy! Please review! I love reviews!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: My muse decided to leave me earlier this week, so I apologize for the delay on getting this chapter up. Chapter 4 should be much faster in coming.  
**

Alice gave a high pitched, strangled gasp, and grabbed at Hatter's arm – almost exactly how she had reacted when she had heard the jabberwock in Tulgy Wood, weeks earlier.

Hatter would have chosen facing an angry jabberwock over facing the man in front of him. His face paled slightly, and he softly moaned, "Oh, this isn't good." Only Alice heard him, thankfully.

He pasted on a smile, but it was far from his trademark charmer. And his eyes were dangerous and dark. "Lord Devillius, is it?" He mocked at a bow.

"Surprised, Hatter?" the elder man spat.

"Mmm, more disappointed really." Hatter smirked back, cockily. "I never pictured the legendary Lord Devillius as an old man hiding in a library."

Alice saw rage flaring in Dodo's eyes – his eyes practically turned red from his emotion. She tugged on Hatter's sleeve, trying to get him to shut up, to back down. She knew this was a dangerous game – Hatter was in no position to be aggravating someone in power.

"Insolent pup," Dodo growled, and backhanded Hatter hard across the face.

The tension in the room was about at breaking point, as Hatter's right fist clenched. But all he did was glare darkly at the old man in front of him, with just a hint of a self-satisfied smirk still lingering on his face.

"Enough!" Jack finally called out, and the men broke gaze. Alice breathed a sigh of relief as Dodo stalked to the empty chair and dropped into it.

"What the hell was that?" Alice whispered fiercely at Hatter.

Hatter unclenched his fist and shook his fingers a few times. "Reflex, I guess," he mumbled back. "We bring out the worst in each other."

Which is an understatement, he thought ruefully.

...

Dodo had always detested Hatter.

He resented that the "charming young man" was so admired, both by the refugees in the Library and by the Resistance insiders he had contact with. He abhorred the fact that Hatter sold tea for the Queen, but the Resistance overlooked it because he was a good smuggler and a spy.

But what truly rankled Dodo the most was Hatter's gall. Even after the Resistance had saved the arrogant kid's life, he still demanded payment (his "usual cut, up front") for the books and information he smuggled in.

Dodo, of course, chose to overlook that Hatter spent said payment purchasing food to feed the refugees in the Library, Dodo included.

But his distaste for the boy paled to obscurity in the shadow of the hatred he now bore.

Hatter had robbed him of his victory.

The Stone of Wonderland had been right there, in the Great Library. All Dodo had to do was seize it, and he would have been the hero. He could have led the charge against the Hearts, and overthrown them for once and for all, possibly even reinstating a Spade as King, instead of the Queen's son. He could almost picture it. His former glory restored.

But Hatter stole that dream away, when he helped the oyster escape. And to rub salt in that injury, now it was Hatter and the Oyster who were hailed the heroes in the taking of Wonderland.

Dodo would bring Hatter down if it was the last thing he did.

...

Jack gave quick greetings then launched right into the issue at hand. "As you know, tea is somehow getting into the oyster world from our world and being sold to oysters there."

Alice cringed at the word – oysters. "Because of the shiny little pearls you all carry inside," Hatter had once told her. But Hatter didn't even use the word oyster anymore (except once when he was talking about... well, an actual shellfish). But in this world, it was the common terminology when referring to people from her world. She would have to try not to let it bother her.

"Furthermore, there has been a breach in the security of the Looking Glass. Lady Alice and the Hatter came through, from the oyster world, when the Looking Glass was reportedly not functioning. I have my men examining the portal as we speak, to try and understand what has happened."

A low murmur rose from the seated suits at this.

"But as the Hatter is here, and as several of the council have expressed their concerns regarding this man, I have brought him before you for questioning." He glanced at Dodo before continuing. "The Lady Alice is not suspect in this, and as such, is to be treated with only great respect." He focused his gaze on Alice for a moment, one of his meaningful gazes, and Alice could read it plainly. He was asking her to stay quiet.

Hatter expected Dodo to begin the questioning. His sneer in Hatter's direction told him that this was going to be a long, uncomfortable process. He swallowed hard and braced himself. But it was an Ace of Diamonds who started the questioning.

"What do you know about this?"

"Nothing," Hatter replied, meeting the piercing gaze. "Leastways, no more then you do. There was a report, on the telly."

"It was on the television?"

Hatter nodded yes. "They called them new drugs. They showed little vials. Looked like Lust and Excitement, and maybe Bliss or Contentment, by the colors."

"You could identify them?" Now it was a Club speaking, and suspicion was written clearly in her eyes.

Hatter took a breath. "You all know that I sold tea for the queen, for years. The colors are markers. I know what they look like."

Another murmur rose at this.

"You have to understand why you are a suspect in all of this," the Club continued. "You admit freely that you sold tea for years. And most of the tea supplies from your shop have not been accounted for..."

A pained look flitted across Hatter's eyes as he recalled the utter destruction of his business. But he quickly steeled himself.

"...and, you are now living in the oyster world, not far from the looking glass, and in the same city that the tea has shown up in. Yet you are asking us to believe you have nothing to do with this?"

Hatter nodded. "I left Wonderland with only a small pack of clothing. And I haven't had any contact with Wonderland since I left, other then a call from King Jack, little more than a month ago, asking if I wished to return."

Jack instantly focused his gaze on Hatter and shook his head ever so slightly. Hatter acknowledged back with his eyes. But this had captured Dodo's attention.

"Why would King Jack ever want you back?" Dodo's voice was heavy with disdain.

Hatter was silent.

"Answer the question, boy!" Dodo snapped after a moment.

The rest of the suits shifted uncomfortably.

Hatter was reluctant. "He didn't want me back. I asked him, before I left, to give me a chance to come back if things didn't work out for me there." In truth, Jack had made the offer, to ease Hatter's fear, but Hatter didn't feel like his answer was a complete lie.

"And why would he do that?"

"Lord Devillius," Jack spoke, his voice holding a warning. "The Hatter is a hero in the taking of Wonderland. I let him through the glass to be with Lady Alice as a reward for his service. He knew that the Looking Glass was to be closed, so he made the request, and I granted it."

"Hero." Dodo snorted. "Let me tell you a few things about your precious hero."

**AN: Apologies, I'm not strong with writing dialogue. This chapter might spawn a one-shot about past dealings between Dodo and Hatter... we'll see. Mild references in chapter to "How He Left" and "Failed Experiment."  
**

**Please read and review... constructive criticism always more than welcome.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Here we are, chapter 4. Thanks so much to all my wonderful reviewers! Please read and review. As always, constructive criticism and plot bunnies always welcome. Cheers! Chapter 5 will be up soon too.**

Little by little, Hatter had been telling Alice about his past. He wanted her to know the type of person he had been. He wanted her to know what Wonderland had been like, and the things he had done. He wanted her to know how she had changed his life.

And he was thankful he had. Because now, as they were facing Dodo, Alice was holding his hand comfortingly, and glaring at Dodo with barely contained fury.

...

Conman. Liar. Turncoat. Dodo seemed to have a story to emphasize each title he spouted. Hatter was quite alarmed when he realized just how much Dodo knew about him. Apparently while he had been gathering information for the Resistance, they had been gathering information about him.

Opportunist.

Unfortunately the most damning of the names Dodo called him was also the most true. Hatter had played both sides. He had convinced the Queen that he was loyal to her, and she had placed him in charge of the Tea Shop that he had formerly been a seller at. He had proven himself valuable to the Resistance by gathering information and smuggling, and had gained from that alliance too. He had been an opportunist.

And who would believe otherwise now?

Dodo could read the waiver in Hatter's eyes, the first sign of fear. He decided to drive it home. "This man, this hero," again he spat the word, "has lived his life, manipulating people and situations for his own gain. He's a master at it." He now commanded the attention of the whole room. "I daresay he knew that he wouldn't get away with selling tea here anymore. So he left, went to the oyster world, and started selling it there." He sneered. "A very Hatter thing to do."

Hatter groaned inwardly, as he watched the faces of the suits at the table. Even Jack had an air of doubt now. Mix a pack of lies with a little truth and you get a powerful argument. And Dodo was a master at that.

"He's not a hero. He's an opportunistic conman, and he will never change! People don't change!" Dodo ended with a roar.

Hatter closed his eyes for a moment, and took a steadying breath. "They do if someone gives them a reason to." He raised his head and opened his eyes.

Then he turned toward Alice, taking her other hand in his so that he was holding both. He looked into her eyes as he said, "Alice didn't just save Wonderland. She saved me." He knew the last line sounded a bit like... well, a line. But it was genuine. She had saved him. And he saw a burst of genuine emotion in Alice's deep blue pools in response.

Dodo just rolled his eyes. "How convenient," he sneered.

…

Hatter couldn't keep still. He and Alice were back in the gaudy red and white room, accompanied by two guards, waiting on the council, who were behind closed doors, discussing the issue, discussing Hatter. And Hatter didn't want to think about what they may decide is appropriate if they believed him guilty.

Alice watched Hatter pacing back and forth. She could barely keep herself in her seat, but rather then pacing, she felt like throwing things around. Or rather, throwing people around. Preferably Dodo. She knew things had not gone well in there, and she was angry at herself for staying quiet. And she was even angrier at Jack for allowing this to happen in the first place. Hatter was innocent, and she knew that Jack knew it, but he hadn't stood up to the council, instead allowing them to question and accuse Hatter. She clenched her fists. Now she wanted to throw Jack around.

…

Having Alice throw him around would have been the preferred pastime for the King. The mix of Serenity and Calm that he had taken earlier was draining away. He wished there was some way he could slip out and get some more, but he couldn't, not without drawing suspicion.

The discussions bounced back and forth, about the problem, about what the solution would be, and about whether or not Hatter was guilty of this. It seemed that five of the eight Aces felt that Hatter was the guilty party. The other three ranged from uncertain and unwilling to accuse in case he was innocent, to one Ace of Hearts believing unshakably that Hatter was telling the truth.

It was late, and getting later, yet the banter showed no sign of letting up. Finally Jack couldn't stand it anymore.

"Enough," Jack stated, as he rose from his chair. The conversation ground to a halt. "We'll meet again in the morning, after a good sleep. I don't believe anything else will be determined tonight."

"And what of the Hatter and Lady Alice?" the Ace of Diamonds asked.

Jack rubbed his forehead with his finger and thumb. "I'll put them under guard for the night." He sighed heavily.

"You think a guard will be able to stop the two if they decide to leave?" Dodo's eyes were dark. He had been on the receiving end of both of their fighting talents. "He, at least, should be locked up."

Jack sighed heavily. "I'll see to it," he muttered, then turned and walked past the Aces and out the side door.

He had intended to slip back to his chambers, but Duchess met him in the hall, and guided him instead toward the waiting room. He cursed to himself. All he needed was a sip.

…

Alice had been furious when Jack stated that the council wished Hatter to be locked up for the night, and she had come dangerously close to attacking him. Hatter had grabbed her, and pulled her back, knowing that if she did harm Jack, there would be two of them in trouble.

"It's alright," he mouthed into her hair.

But it was Duchess who successfully diffused the situation. Despite her heightened emotions, by this time she was the most level-headed of the group. She suggested that Hatter and Alice be shown to a suite, and locked in there, rather then Hatter being confined to a holding room. That way, they would still be "guests" and not prisoners.

And so they had been taken to a suite that was really rather luxurious, and Duchess had ushered Alice in. Hatter lingered at the door, waiting until Alice was out of earshot before turning to Jack. "Tell me the truth," he said, steeling his voice.

"It's not going well, Hatter." Jack looked a little haunted. "And I can't take it easy on you."

Hatter nodded silently. He knew Jack was in a tough spot, especially with Dodo on his council. But that did little to stem the anxiety that grabbed his stomach like an icy hand. He would have to think of something... some way to turn the tide, if that was possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**Still own none of the characters. But they are fun to write.**

**Thanks for the great reviews so far 3. I love reviews. **

Hatter had happily joined the Resistance, so many years back. After all, who wouldn't want to see a terrible dictator like the Queen of Hearts overthrown? He had believed the Resistance to be an army for the people, striving to right wrongs and to restore Wonderland to its former glory. And Hatter definitely wanted to be a part of that.

The Resistance had succeeded in overthrowing the rein of the Queen of Hearts. But they had put, in her place, a puppet king that they could control. Jack didn't have any power, and he knew it. Resistance members like Dodo were now controlling the government and ruling Wonderland. And Hatter realized that he really didn't know what the Resistance's true agenda was.

He and Alice had been proclaimed as heroes, but they had merely been pawns on the Resistance's chessboard, useful but ultimately disposable. And Jack, though disguised as a king, was merely one as well.

...

Hatter leaned against the wall, listening to the locks falling into place on the other side of the door. Across the room, Alice's eyes were still blazing, her body shaking with anger and stress. Hatter wanted to go over to her, but his body was frozen.

He knew he could break the door down, overpower the guards and escape. He knew how to disappear, easily enough. And if Alice had been safely on her side of the looking glass, he might have done just that. But she wasn't. She was here. He couldn't risk it.

Plus, that might just play too well into whatever plan Dodo had.

He felt arms wrap around his waist, and looked down in surprise. He had been so trapped in thought that he hadn't noticed Alice cross the room. Now she looked up at him with concerned eyes, and he felt his muscles relax against her, even as he returned her embrace.

She pulled him in the direction of the bed, and he obediently followed. They lay down, Alice curled up against him, and for a long time neither spoke.

Finally, Alice murmured, quietly and emotionally, "This is going all wrong."

Hatter swallowed hard, but didn't say anything.

Alice raised her eyes and looked at him. "What'll we do, if they find you guilty?"

Hatter shook his head, and his eyes got bright. "Alice, listen to me. If things go bad tomorrow... you... you have to get out of here, get back to your world... without me." His voice was raspy.

Alice sat bolt upright. "No!" she cried out. "You're just going to give up?"

Hatter sat up as well. "Not without a fight, but I'll need to know that you'll be safe."

Alice was just staring at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm innocent, Alice. For once in my life, I am being accused of something that I didn't do." Hatter grimaced. "And I'll find a way to prove it." A plan started forming in the back of his head – a good plan, but one that terrified him horribly.

"How?" Alice pleaded.

"I'll find a way." He kept quiet about his idea – he knew that it would just upset Alice more.

He pulled her into a strong embrace, and his lips found hers, pressing passionately against them. Right now, he just needed the comfort of the woman he loved. And he knew that she needed this too.

Not breaking the kiss, he wiped the tears off of her face with one hand, while the other tangled into her hair, and pulled her further into him. She returned the kiss fervently, her hands traveling down his back, pulling at his shirt.

Long into the night, they comforted each other the only way they knew how. It was rough, and it was raw, but it was a release. And finally, Alice's fatigue won out, and she drifted off, still wrapped tightly in Hatter's arms.

But for Hatter, sleep wouldn't come. He just lay there, feeling the warmth of his Alice against him, listening to every breath, watching her sleep. And praying that this wouldn't be the last time he did.

...

"I really hate the décor in here," Hatter grumbled softly, as he and Alice found themselves once again in the bright red and white room, waiting. And once again, he was pacing.

Alice watched him, reading every line in his body, every motion in his arms and fingers. She knew he was barely holding himself together. Everything in her just wanted to protect him, the way he had always protected her.

I love you, she thought silently. She hadn't managed to say it out loud yet. Every time she thought she might, it had been silenced by her fear. Her fear that someday he would leave her. She knew it was an irrational fear (the man had left the only world he knew to be with her), a leftover from the daddy issues that she had lived with for most of her life. And now she knew that her dad had not left her, not willingly. She hoped that the fears would eventually go away too.

…

Hatter and Alice stood, once again, at the foot of the council table, this time all chairs filled before they entered the room. Jack stood at the head of the table, impeccably groomed and obviously under the effects of Calm again. His face and eyes bore no emotion as he looked at the two in front of him.

"The council has made a decision." His voice sounded cold and detached. "The Hatter will be held to trial in Court."

Hatter's face went white and his breathing constricted. Alice glanced at him for only a second before she turned her gaze angrily at Dodo's sneering face.

But before she could unleash her verbal tirade, Hatter spoke.

"No." His voice sounded authoritative, and completely in control. Everyone in the room turned their attention on him immediately.

"Pardon?" Jack looked taken aback.

Hatter glanced quickly at Dodo, and then back at Jack. "I am not guilty of selling emotion teas to the people on the other side of the looking glass." He emphasized people, not oysters. "So spare me the illusion of justice."

Alice was shocked. She had never heard this tone from Hatter before. And she found she liked it.

"If you just want to make a spectacle, kill someone, then fine, kill me. I can't stop you." He stole another glance at Dodo. The look in Dodo's eyes told him that he would very much like to take Hatter up on that. "But if you actually care enough to try to stop the tea from being sold," Hatter continued, "then let's find out who's really doing it and stop them."

"We have found out who's really doing it." Dodo leered at him. Hatter ignored him, looking only at Jack.

Jack could see something in Hatter's eyes, something Hatter didn't want to show him, but couldn't hide. Hatter was terrified. The strength he was portraying, impressive as it was, was only a front.

Lowering his voice, to try and keep it from shaking, Hatter forced out two words. "Dose me."

The room fell completely silent, everyone staring at the man in the porkpie hat.

"What?" Alice squeaked finally.

Hatter didn't turn to her, couldn't. He kept his eyes levelly on Jack. "Honesty. If I'm lying, you'll find out. Dose me."

Alice couldn't believe what she was hearing. Hatter was asking to be given... tea?

Jack was rather surprised as well. "What makes you think that we have any of that?" he asked finally. He was trying to communicate with Hatter through his eyes again, but Hatter would have none of it.

"You do. It's too valuable a tool to simply be discarded."

Jack took a deep breath, but the strain shone through his next words. "Very well." He turned to the council. "We will reconvene after luncheon." Then he walked toward the side door. "A word, Hatter."

**AN: I can't write lemony bits to save my life, so I sort of glossed over it. If anyone else wants to write the missing scene, you are more than welcome. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Jack closed the door behind them with a firm click before turning to Hatter. His face and his eyes still wore Calm like a shield, but internally, he could feel that it was already wearing off. Wearing off too fast – like he hadn't taken enough, or it wasn't as strong... Charlotte! Annoyance and anger, well-tempered with admiration, flooded him. The Duchess, she must be diluting his reserves. He would deal with that later.

Right now, he had to deal with this situation, this man in front of him.

"What have you done, Hatter?" The anxiety in his voice was barely disguised.

Hatter clenched his jaw a little with practiced defiance. "You mean, besides trying to save my life?"

Jack ignored that. "Honesty is terrible stuff. You won't be able to lie. You won't be able to hold back the truth. You'll tell everything. Every secret, every thought you have. You won't be able to stop yourself. You'll tell everything!"

Hatter mulled over the repeated phrase. You'll tell everything. Then he realized the problem, what Jack was afraid of. Hatter knew too much, and if the right question was asked...

Then Hatter thought about the many secrets he held, things he kept locked in his head, things he had never told anyone. All of those could be laid bare too, and in front of Dodo of all people. Panic gripped his stomach but he fought against it.

For a long tense moment, the two just stared at each other, both feeling their own brand of horror.

"They can't know," Jack moaned.

Hatter shook his head. "It has to happen this way," he said firmly, "but you have to control it. I won't be able to."

Jack looked at Hatter, slightly confused.

"You have to make sure that you are the only one who questions me!" Hatter was insistent. "You have to control what I get asked." He started shaking, as he realized that he had to place his trust in this man in front of him. "You have to be strong, Jack." Hatter's eyes almost pleaded. "And you can't let Dodo ask me anything."

…

They tied him to a chair. Hatter pulled a bit at the bindings, but they were firm. He struggled against the bad flashbacks, of torture and the Truth Room. He realized with a jolt that the council room was now his new Truth Room. He felt sick and afraid.

The council had reassembled, but not at their table. Now, they all hovered around his chair. There were suits, guarding at every doorway. Alice stood beside him, fear and concern clear in all her features, but she held eye contact with him, and he clung to her presence to balance himself.

Then, they brought it in. A small bottle filled with clear liquid. A lot of clear liquid. Hatter clenched his fist to control his panic at the sight of it. There had to be at least three times the regular dose in that bottle, and Hatter realized that they were going to make him take it all. He'd be lucky if he could ever lie again!

But something else was wrong too.

It wasn't quite the right color.

An odd thing to realize, especially since Honesty was one of the few teas that were clear, not colored. But Hatter knew tea, and in its pure form, Honesty had a hint of blue, barely noticeable but to the trained eye. What was now being held in front of his lips was ever-so-slightly yellow.

Hatter hesitated, pulling his head back, away from the approaching tea. His eyes were wild.

Alice could barely restrain herself from knocking the man with the tea to the ground and crushing the glass. She knew it was all wrong, that he was even more terrified then before, even though he was fighting to hide it. But she knew there was nothing she could do. Except watch. And keep herself under control. And that took all the training she had as a black belt to do.

Everyone was watching him now – Dodo with a malicious smirk; Jack with vague, emotionless eyes; Alice with fear and concern. The rest of the council seemed to be waiting, to see if he would actually go through with this.

Hatter steeled himself and opened his mouth. And the first of a long swallow of Honesty made its way past his lips.

Now he knew that it wasn't pure. Honesty was supposed to have a slightly citric taste. This tea did, but there was a slight saltiness to it. What were they giving him? He was tempted to spit it out, but he didn't. His whole body was shaking now, as the last of the liquid passed his lips, and he swallowed.

…

Alice had never watched someone take tea before. There had been the two men at the tea shop, that first day in Wonderland, but she had been distracted, just as they were starting to down their concoctions. But watching Hatter, it appeared to be almost a painful sensation, and she wondered if it was always like that, and if so, why would anyone want to take tea? But then, Honesty probably wasn't a very "feel good" drug either. And Hatter had been uncomfortable even before he had accepted the dose.

She found herself wondering what it would look like if Hatter had taken Bliss or Lust? She wondered what the drugs would feel like? But then she pushed it all out of her mind, and focused back on her Hatter, tied to a chair, being watched like a side-show freak, as Honesty took over his synapses.

And she felt her rage continuing to build.

…

The tea was taking hold. Hatter could feel his ability to lie dissolving away, a disconcerting feeling on its own. For a conman who had made his way through life using that ability, without it he felt naked and exposed. And it was being replaced by the urge to say everything that crossed his mind, to hold nothing back. Oh, this wasn't going to be good.

But there was another sensation taking over his body, simultaneously. His heart felt unbearably heavy in his chest. He felt like crying. He felt worthless and remorseful. Horror gripped him as he realized at last what the Honesty was mixed with.

"Guilt?" He could barely recognize his own voice, barely realizing that he was speaking. But he couldn't hold it back. "You laced the Honesty with Guilt?" He could feel the heat of tears behind his eyes and clenched them shut. But in a second he opened them again, regretting his words, because Alice was about to get herself into a world of trouble.

Alice's face was contorted with rage. "You did WHAT?" she shrieked at Jack, her voice shrill and cutting. All control was gone, and she lunged forward to attack the king. Two suits instantly grabbed her and pulled her back.

Hatter was starting to babble a bit, but for the moment, all eyes were instead on the scene that Alice was creating. Hatter tried to control his mouth, tried to hold back every thought that went through his head, but it wasn't working.

"Alice, think about Alice," he told himself (unfortunately, out loud, since he couldn't seem to have silent thoughts at the moment. But no one paid attention.

Jack turned toward Alice, his face an emotionless mask. "Alice, I don't think you should see this." His voice was so calm it sounded inhuman. Then he nodded to the guards, and they began to pull her toward the door.

"No!" Her yell was loud and startling, and for a second, even Hatter's mind cleared. He watched her hit one of the guards in the neck, dropping him, before flipping the other over her shoulder onto the floor. But three more guards were on her in an instant, and she was successfully dragged through the door, screaming obscenities at Jack the whole way out.

The heavy door shut behind them with an ominous click. And the attention was back on the drugged man. Hatter was panting and groaning, mumbling something almost incoherent about Alice. He was fully under the effects of the tea now, and they had just removed his one lifeline.

Jack took command. He leaned forward and planted a hand on either arm of Hatter's chair and forced Hatter to look straight at him, only at him.

"Now tell us," he demanded, "how the tea got into the oyster world?"

Questions. Yes, questions were good. They helped to focus the Honesty, focus his thoughts. And dull the edge of the Guilt that weighed him down so heavily that he felt he might fall through the floor.

Nonetheless, the words ripped out of him, uncontrolled. "Through the looking glass, it's the only way it could."

Jack tensed. That answer made Hatter sound guilty. So he changed his tactic. "Are you selling tea to the oysters?"

Better. "No, I'm not." Hatter was still shaking. "I wouldn't."

"Wouldn't?" It wasn't Jack who parroted the question. Hatter wasn't sure who it was, but he felt compelled to reply.

"I wouldn't do that to Alice. Or Tessa. Or Carol. Or any of them. The teas have caused enough damage... I've caused enough..." Great, the Guilt was kicking in.

Jack knew he needed to control this again. "So, you don't know who is selling the tea to the oysters?"

"No," Hatter replied truthfully."Otherwise I would already have stopped them."

A murmur of approval rippled through the room. Jack visibly relaxed.

But then, "So, you wouldn't sell tea to the oysters, but you had no problem when you were selling it to your own people?" Dodo. Jack tensed again. Dodo was not supposed to be talking to Hatter.

Hatter tensed too, but the Honesty was too strong. "Before," he said. It was true. He had not struggled with his conscience over selling tea before. Before he met Alice. Before he came to her world. He had told himself it was what needed to be done, that it was making a living. Lied to himself. And he had finally seen it as a lie, even before the Honesty. "I was lying to myself. Telling myself it wasn't wrong." The words just kept flowing out of his mouth. "I had never met a conscious one before Alice. I didn't know what they were like." A faint smile played on his mouth. "She was all dripping wet and beautiful and alive and defiant." Then his face fell, as another wave of guilt hit. "They were taken, and drained. They had families and friends and people who loved them, and I sold the tea from that." Tears were streaming down Hatter's face now.

Jack shifted uncomfortably, almost feeling like he had been dosed with guilt too. He thought about the bottles that he still hid, that he still took. And he had met his fair share of lively oysters too.

Jack knew he had to redirect this again, and quickly. Hatter was getting dangerously close to lighting upon information that should not be shared. About the time they had both spent in the oyster world.

"Most of the tea from your shop was unaccounted for," Jack continued, jumping onto another topic that had been touched when Hatter was sober. Hatter looked up at him, his eyes distraught.

Mad March. The suits. Standing on the front porch of his shop. March tossing a man, carelessly, over the edge of the bridge. Having to take Alice and flee, leaving the shop unguarded. Coming back, after Alice had gone through the looking glass. Finding everything destroyed and pillaged.

The thoughts and images flowed through Hatter's mind and out of his mouth, as the Honesty made him unable to stop it. But it worked. The Aces were believing him.

"Enough!" an Ace of Hearts finally spoke. "I think we have successfully determined that this man is not guilty." He turned to the council. "He is still a hero in the taking of Wonderland," with a sharp look in Dodo's direction, "and should be treated as such."

"I'm not a hero." It was Hatter's voice again, a pained confession. He had been babbling slightly, without questions to focus his thoughts, but now that word drew his attention again. "I'm not a hero. Why does everyone keep calling me a hero? It was all Alice. I was just trying to save her. She saved everyone..." Fresh tears fell from his eyes.

Jack swiftly undid the bindings on Hatter's wrists, and helped the man to his feet. "Hush," he intoned softly. "You don't have to say anything else."

Then he turned and spoke to two of the suits. "Take the Hatter to his chambers. Don't let anyone talk to him or enter his room until the tea has worn off. Except Lady Alice. Understand?"

Then he turned to Hatter, and held his hand over his heart in a respectful gesture, as he was led away.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Wow, thank you all so much for the fantastic reviews. It made me and my muse very happy. Please keep it up. I like to know what you think!  
**

Alice hit her fists, hard, against the unmoving gray wall of the holding cell, cursing. She could hear low voices on the other side, though she couldn't make out what they were saying.

She knew she had made a grave mistake, letting her emotions get the better of her. "Stupid, Alice!" she rebuked herself bitterly. "That's not how you were trained. And look where it got you. Now you can't protect Hatter at all."

Oh god, what were they doing to Hatter? She felt her eyes welling up, even as the anger still shook her body. She so badly wanted to punch Jack square in the face. And she wanted to kill Dodo, or at very least, maim him badly. But more then anything, she just wanted to know that Hatter was alright.

She hammered her fists against the wall again. "Let me out of here!"

To her surprise, the wall slid aside, to reveal a figure silhouetted in the light that streamed in. It wasn't a suit. It wasn't Jack or Hatter. The statuesque blond woman beckoned to Alice, wearing an appropriately apologetic look on her face.

"Duchess?" Alice was quite startled.

"Come with me," the woman replied, before turning and walking down the wide hallway.

She was lead to a small, comfortable sitting room, and Duchess had tea brought. Alice was more than a little bemused. Duchess' warm, soft features and kind demeanor stood in stark contrast to the Duchess that Alice had remembered, Jack's cold and arrogant fiancee, standing before the Queen, belittling Alice.

And so the first words out of Alice's mouth were, "Why are you being nice to me?" She had meant it as a simple question, but it came across far harsher then it was intended.

She could see a flicker in Duchess' eyes – a bit of hurt, though mixed with understanding. "You're Alice of Legend. You are a hero. And they have been treating you and the Hatter atrociously since you came back."

Alice couldn't argue with that. "Where is Hatter?" she demanded.

"Still in with the council," Duchess replied softly, her eyes a little sorrowful. "I've given word that we are to be notified as soon as council breaks." Noticing Alice tensing up, she quickly added, "There is nothing we can do until then."

"We?" Again, coming across harsher then intended, but Alice had been so overwhelmed all day by negative emotions that she could do little else.

A bit of a sad smile. "I'm an ally, Alice," she said softly. "I'm on your side here. So is Jack."

Alice bristled at the mention. "Jack?" she cried out angrily. "If Jack's on our side, why isn't he doing more to help Hatter? Why is he letting them accuse Hatter of this? Why did he dose Hatter with Guilt?" Her voice started to crack.

At the last one, the Duchess' eyes widened, and she looked deflated. The queen's concoction – lace the Honesty with Guilt and the interrogated are likely to admit something they are guilty of, even if it isn't the original crime. Then they could be executed anyways.

"I don't think Jack knew there was Guilt in it," Duchess said softly. "He wouldn't do that."

She looked over at Alice, who was staring darkly into her teacup.

"Please forgive Jack," she pleaded, her voice sounding almost desperate. Alice looked up, completely shocked at the vulnerable tone. "He doesn't have a choice. Things aren't going well. The council, they control everything now. They have their own plans for Wonderland. And Jack, he doesn't command things the way his mother did. She ruled the council with fear. Jack's not like that." She sighed softly. "Caterpillar warned us that it could turn out this way."

Alice had suspected that Jack wasn't much more than a figure head, even before the Duchess had confirmed it.

But her next words were still biting. "Maybe I'd feel sorry for him if he wasn't trying to kill my boyfriend." Still with the harsh tone. She cringed inwardly.

Duchess seemed infinitely patient. "We won't let them kill Hatter. He's a hero too." Then she looked Alice straight in the eyes. "We need your help."

"With what?"

But just then the door to their chamber opened, and a very contrite looking face appeared. A face that Alice very much wanted to flatten the chiseled features of.

Jack looked truly frightened as Alice launched herself in his direction, and he threw up his hands into a defensive position that she had taught him. "Alice, wait!" he yelped. Duchess looked a little amused.

Alice stopped, just short of him. "Where's Hatter?" she demanded.

"He proved he was innocent. They let him go," Jack hastily told her, hoping she would back down. "He's in your chambers, and I've given orders that you are the only one to see him until the Honesty wears off."

Alice dropped her fists, and Jack visibly relaxed. "We'll take you to him." Then he put his hand into the pocket of his suit jacket, and pulled out a small vial of aqua liquid. "You can give him this. It will help to counteract the Guilt. There's nothing that can undo the Honesty, that just has to wear off on its own."

Alice's eyes narrowed as she eyed the vial. "What is it?" she demanded.

"Peace," came Jack's reply.

"You want me to give Hatter oyster tea? Really?" She hoped Jack would catch the irony of asking an oyster to give someone tea that was made from oysters.

If Jack did catch the irony, he didn't show it. "Guilt, it's nasty stuff. I would never have given it to him. He's probably being ripped apart inside right now. This will help, Alice."

Alice swallowed hard and accepted the vial. She knew he was right. Hatter had more than enough guilt without something heightening that emotion.

"Take me to him!" she demanded, finally.

...

The guards stepped aside to allow Alice through to the door, then moved back in place, barring even the King and Duchess access. Alice was slightly surprised, but said nothing. She simply put her hand on the door and slipped in.

Hatter was lying on the bed, his back toward her, and at first she thought that he might be asleep. But as she got closer she could hear him babbling, quietly. He looked completely disheveled, and he was still shaking some. She sat down on the bed beside him and placed a hand on his back.

He immediately turned toward her, his eyes wild and desperate, and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into her lap. She ran her hand through his hair, comfortingly. "It's okay, Hatter. It's over. Shhh," she soothed. She could still feel him babbling into her lap, but now her name was audible in what he was saying, though she couldn't make anything else out.

Finally he turned his head, so he was simply laying on her lap. "Help me, Alice. I can't stop." His voice sounded broken.

"What should I do?" Alice really didn't know what to do. This was all new territory. And she had never seen Hatter looking so helpless before. It broke her heart.

"Ask me questions, anything! It'll help focus it."

Questions. Right.

Alice drew a complete blank.

"Alice, please!"

Then she remembered the vial. "Hatter, Jack told me to give you this." She held the small bottle in front of his face.

Hatter pulled back instantly, his body tense. "No! No tea. No more tea! I can't use other people's emotions anymore." His voice hitched and tears flowed, unchecked, out of his eyes.

Alice immediately put it on a little table on the bedside, and pulled Hatter toward her again. "Sorry," she whispered into his hair. "Jack said it would help. It would counteract the Guilt."

"It would help, but I can't. I can't."

She pulled his head back down on her lap, but so that he was facing up at her, and she ran her hands soothingly through his hair. She could feel him relax, but only slightly. He was babbling again, it sounded mostly like nonsense, but he kept his voice as quiet as possible. He just couldn't control it.

Questions. Right. Questions would help him focus.

"What's your favorite color?" It was a silly little question, but a question was a question, and it was probably a good idea to keep things light.

She was rewarded with a hint of a grin. "Blue," he replied, immediately.

"Really? I had you pegged as more flamboyant then that," she teased.

His dimple showed. "I am. But I like blue. And I really liked your wet blue dress."

Alice couldn't help but chuckle. Next question. "What is your favorite kind of food?" She was pretty sure she already knew his answer to that one, considering how many times he had dragged her out for pepperoni pizza since he'd first tried it. Either that or waffles.

"Pizza," he replied quickly.

"Had you pegged on that one," Alice laughed. This was good. They were both relaxing.

Alice realized, to her surprise and shock, that many of these things were questions she had never asked him. They had talked at length about both of their pasts, and answered each others questions about their respective worlds, but had never asked or answered such simple questions as color preference.

"Sunrise or sunset?"

"Sunset. Sunrises happen too early."

"Boxers or briefs?"

"Boxers. But you already knew that one." Hatter felt his mind getting clearer, and the light-hearted banter was keeping the guilt at bay.

But Alice was starting to run out of questions.

"How old are you?" She realized she didn't know. His fake id from her world pegged him as 28, but he was from Wonderland. He could be any age.

"Thirty-nine," he said, this time more reluctantly, but still having no choice but to answer.

He saw a strange look cross Alice's face. "You're thirty-nine?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Age doesn't work the same here as it does in my world, does it?"

Hatter shook his head no. "I'm still young."

Alice decided to save that conversation for some other time. She didn't want Hatter to start worrying, and she could see from his face that he was heading that direction.

"What was your first thought when you met me?" Alice had to admit, she was curious.

"Oh my god, this oyster's awake," was his very honest answer. Alice jumped slightly. She had to remind herself that he had no choice but to say the exact truth. She had been expecting a flirtatious answer, probably surrounding her very wet dress. But really, thinking back, he probably hadn't even spun his chair around at that point, so...

She was struggling to come up with more questions. She would probably think of a thousand questions after the fact, but being put on the spot to come up with more, to keep Hatter sane, she was drawing a blank. Or almost a blank. There was one question that kept replaying in the back of her head, and she kept squashing it down, but her mind kept bringing it back.

She squashed it down yet again, forcing out a different question instead. "What's your favorite thing about my world?"

"You." His answer was completely matter-of-fact. Alice smiled softly, but a bit sadly.

"Do you miss Wonderland?" She was heading in a dangerous direction, and the question was getting louder.

"Some parts of it, yes. It's my home, and it makes more sense to me then your world does." Hatter seemed to sense that something was coming, he was tensing up again.

Then it came. "Do you ever think about leaving me?" Alice regretted it the moment it passed her lips. It wasn't a fair question to be asking right now. She had asked it so many times before, needing reassurance. And he had always answered her, with amazing gentleness. But to ask him now, when he was dosed with Honesty – the only way it could possibly look to him was like she didn't trust that he was telling the truth when he wasn't dosed.

And she saw the change in his face immediately. The pain sprang back, and his eyes grew very bright. "Yes," he finally choked out.

Alice caught her breath. That was not the answer that she was expecting or hoping for. Every fear sprang to the forefront of her mind, and she started to cry.

And almost missed his next words because of it. "I think about leaving. I think about how much pain it would cause both of us. I think about how it would ruin my life. I think about how I wouldn't have a life to go back to, because you changed me so much that there is nothing in my old life that would make me happy anymore." He started crying again. Alice had never felt more guilty.

"I could never leave you Alice. I love you." His voice hitched, and a sob rocked his body, unable to be held back anymore than his thoughts. "I've told you that so many times. Why can you only believe it when I can't tell a lie? I was never lying to you Alice. I always told you the truth. Every time I answered it. Why couldn't you trust me?" Alice buried her face in her hands, unable to look at the pain in Hatter's eyes, the pain she had just put there.

He rolled off her lap, onto his side, his back to her. Sobs wracked him uncontrollably. "It hurts that you don't trust me, Alice. It hurts."

Alice reached out for him, but he pulled away. "Leave me alone, please!" he pleaded. There was a long moment of silence, then he started babbling again.

Alice felt shattered. She had just torn a huge hole in Hatter's heart. All because of her stupid insecurities. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't that she didn't trust him, it wasn't that she thought he would leave, it was that she thought she would end up driving him away. That she felt undeserving of the total devotion he showed her. That she felt guilty that he gave up his whole life for her, and she was afraid he might regret it someday. She wanted to tell him she loved him. But she couldn't make the words come out.

Swallowing a sob, she ran out the door, pushing past the guards. There was only one thing she could think of that would make this better. And she would need Jack's help.

...

Hatter heard the door shut behind her, and he was alone with his misery. And the guilt was settling in again – with an accusing tone. "Of course she doesn't trust you. You aren't worthy of her trust." The sound of his own voice horrified him as much as the words he spoke. He didn't even need guilt to feel unworthy. And right now he couldn't lie to himself either.

He sat up painfully and wiped his eyes. The small bottle of aqua blue tea stared back at him from the bedside table.

"You're weak!" his guilt raged at him as he reached and wrapped his hand around the vial of Peace.

**AN: Happier times are coming, I promise. Stay tuned. Please review! **


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Sorry for the delay... work's been a cruel slave-driver this past week. I was finally able to escape back to Wonderland. Hope you enjoy. Please review. I love reviews. And thank you so much to those who have reviewed. Please keep it coming!**

"No. Absolutely not!" Jack was absolutely dumbfounded by Alice's request.

"Jack, please! I need to do this!" Alice could feel tears stinging the back of her eyes, and she blinked them away furiously. Her face was puffy and red, and it was obvious that she had been crying, but there was no way she was actually going to cry in front of Jack. "I hurt him. This is the only way I can make it better."

"No, Alice. We don't know what it would do to you. It has never been tested on oysters." Jack was firm. "It's not a risk I am willing to take. And Hatter wouldn't want you to either." He sighed heavily. It was hard seeing Alice so upset. "Whatever you did, wait until he's not dosed anymore, and talk about it."

"No. Jack, I need you to give me some Honesty. It's the only way he'll know I trust him."

Jack shook his head. "I won't, Alice, I'm sorry."

"Dammit Jack!" Alice's hands clenched, and she forced herself to turn away from the man in front of her. Everything in her wanted to throw him onto the ground. Instead, she just let out an angry cry and stormed out of the room.

And very nearly crashed into Duchess.

Alice hadn't even noticed Jack's fiancee slip out of the room, but she must have sometime during the argument. She smiled gently at Alice, seeing how distraught the young brunette looked. Then she reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a small vial, with a very small amount of clear liquid in it.

"Here," she whispered, pressing it into Alice's hand.

Alice looked at the little vial. There was barely more then a small swallow in it. "Will that be enough?"

Duchess nodded. "It'll be enough. Enough to make you tell the truth without turning you into a blithering mess. It should wear off in a couple of hours." Then she placed her hand on Alice's back, and gently pushed her down the hallway. "Go. Tell him what you need to tell him."

Alice started down the hall. Then she turned back. "Duchess?"

Duchess turned and looked at her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. And call me Charlotte."

…

Alice slipped back into the room, and closed the door as silently as possible. She could hear by the faint snores and heavy breathing that Hatter was asleep. It was a fitful sleep, but at least it was sleep. He twitched and jerked slightly, every so often, and at one point he started shivering, in spite of the quilt he had partially buried himself under.

Alice glanced at the table by the bed, and noticed that the bottle of Peace was gone. Perhaps he had taken it after all? Alice knew she should feel relieved, but instead found that it bothered her a little bit. Until she glanced up, and a faint smile curled her lips in spite of herself. On the far wall, visible on the white wallpaper, was a wet and slightly bluish stain. A few shards of glass twinkled at her from the floor below it.

Her eyes traveled back to the bed, and the form that lay in it. She longed to go and wrap herself around him and touch him, but she knew that she couldn't. Not until she made things right.

Instead, she settled into a comfortable plush chair and pulled out the little glass vial. She swirled the clear liquid around in it, eying the concoction with growing apprehension. The idea of putting this tea in her body, after seeing what it had done to poor Hatter, was only slightly less terrifying to her then the idea of losing Hatter because he thought she didn't trust him.

Her hands trembled slightly and she clenched the bottle in her fist. Once Hatter woke up, she would take it, and tell him everything. She only hoped he woke up before she lost her nerve.

For once, Hatter was thankful for exhaustion. Interrogation, a sleepless night, too much Honesty and Guilt, and a harsh emotional blow had left him utterly reeling. And his body had taken matters into its own hands, and simply shut off, plunging him into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

But he could feel his consciousness starting to return. He could sense he wasn't alone in the room anymore. Someone was watching him, he could feel it. And he could hear the quiet breathing. His eyes started to flutter open, a little reluctantly. He noted, happily, that he wasn't babbling anymore. At least he had slept off some of the effects of his Honesty overdose. He still couldn't formulate a lie, but at least his thoughts weren't rushing about and out of his mouth uncontrollably.

He twisted his body in the bed, and turned towards his silent observer. Alice. He swallowed hard against the lump that built in his throat, their previous conversation rushing to the forefront of his mind. He could see that she had been crying too, but that did nothing to ease the pain that was still sharp in his chest.

She stared at him for a long moment, without saying anything. Then wordlessly, she raised her hand toward her face.

That's when he saw what she held. A small glass vial. A tea vial. A tea vial with a clear liquid in it. Honesty? Hatter's stomach clenched, and he launched himself at her with a cry, tangling himself in the blankets and falling, but scrambling toward her again, trying to reach the bottle before it was too late.

"Alice! No! What are you doing? Alice!" His words wrenched violently from him as he saw the Honesty entering her mouth.

She lowered the bottle, her hands shaking, and Hatter ripped it from her and sent it skittering across the floor. "Alice, what have you done?" he groaned. "Why did you take Honesty?"

Alice felt the truth swelling, almost dizzyingly, inside her. Is this what taking tea was like? "I had to," she said, and her words started to spill out. "I needed to tell you that I trust you and I needed you to know that I wasn't lying."

"Alice." Her name tore from his mouth. Before, he would have been able to reassure her that he believed her, even without the tea. But she had torn a hole in his trust. And he couldn't pretend otherwise, even if he wanted to. So instead, he weakly said, "I didn't want you to take Honesty. It's horrible stuff."

"I need to tell you. I need to tell you Hatter." She was shaking badly now. "I love you Hatter." Just like that it was out.

Hatter wanted so desperately to silence her. They were words that he had longed to hear from her, but... "Not like this Alice," he pleaded. "Not when you don't have a choice but to tell me."

Alice's eyes filled with tears. "I took the Honesty so that I wouldn't have a choice but to tell you. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I couldn't because I was scared."

A pained look crossed Hatter's face. "You're scared that I would leave you."

"I'm scared because I don't deserve you, and everything that you've done for me, and everything that you've given up for me. I'm scared that someday I'll push you away, and make you regret it. You gave up your whole life, your whole world, because of me." She felt so undeserving.

She started sobbing and Hatter's heart melted entirely – even if it was just because of the Honesty, what she had just told him was real. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was that she didn't trust herself, and underneath, she felt guilty. He reached out and pulled her onto his lap, on the floor, and they clung to each other, for a long moment.

"I love you Hatter," she choked out.

Then his lips were on her, pressed passionately against her as his hand roughly twisting into her hair. He parted for a breath and the words flew out, spoken into her mouth. "I love you Alice, and I'll not leave you. I love you." And then their mouths surged together again, silencing all words.

…

Jack eyed Duchess suspiciously as she gracefully swept back into the room. She had a slightly self-satisfied smile on her face, and a secret in her eyes. And she had just come in where Alice had gone out.

Oh no. "Charlotte," he started cautiously. "You didn't... give Alice..."

She smiled, a bit brightly, catching Jack off guard. God she was beautiful, and she had become so much more so since she was freed from the control of the queen and the tea. But she was still a bit of a mystery.

"I gave Alice something," she agreed, a bit mischievously.

Jack stiffened. "You gave her Honesty?"

The Duchess laughed slightly. "In a manner of speaking."

Now Jack was starting to get worked up. She could see his neck turning red around the collar of his shirt. It was time to confess.

"She obviously had something she needed to get off her chest. And she felt like taking Honesty was the only way to do it. So I gave her a vial – but it wasn't Honesty."

Now Jack was curious. "What was it?"

"Water and distilled lemon essence," was her reply. At Jack's confused look, she continued. "The Ten of Clubs has been making counterfeit emotions for years. He felt he had a better chance of keeping his head if he could think clearly. They look and taste remarkably like the real thing."

Fake emotion teas? It was, well, brilliant, and the fact that she had given Alice a placebo even more so. Alice would think it was Honesty, and so she would be honest. All without the risks of giving her the actual tea.

But now something else was disturbing him. His teas – the Calm, the Serenity. Had she been replacing his secret stash with the placebos as well? He had definitely noticed that they didn't seem to be working as well or as long.

He didn't know if he should ask. What if she didn't know that he was still using? It would just raise a whole new set of issues. But looking in her intelligent eyes (she was far more than just a beautiful face and a killer body), he knew he'd be lying to himself to think she didn't know.

He tried to keep his voice level. "Charlotte, have you been replacing my teas with the counterfeits?"

Charlotte admired the control in his question. But she met his gaze and answered, "No, Jack, I haven't."

She saw Jack visibly relax, and he didn't question her further. So she never told him that she was, however, diluting them.

**AN: Again, dodging a potential lemony bit there. If anyone wants to write that scene, please do. :) Hope you like! The next couple of chapters will start to answer some of the questions that were raised earlier. Stay tuned!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:**_ Says my muse to Jack, as she pokes through his secret stash:** "Got anything usefu**_**_l in here? Some Creativity? Maybe a splash of Inspiration?"_**

_Says Jack: **"I don't think that stuff can be bottled." **Slightly confused look. **"Besides, isn't that your job?"**_

_My muse, sulking slightly: **"You try being her muse when she's this stressed!" **Gets bright idea. **"Can I borrow this?" **Holds up a bottle of Calm_

_Says Jack, shock evident in his voice: **"Absolutely NOT! Haven't you learned anything reading this story so far?"**_

_Replies my muse, smirking: **"A few things, actually."**_

_Jack, rolling his eyes: **"Just see if Duchess will whip up a placebo for her."**_

_**(Apologies for the delay in getting another chapter up... my muse doesn't like stress. The next chapter after this should be up quickly, it's already half written)**_

_**...  
**_

It had been a time of political unrest. The Queen of Hearts had been banished, and the young, blonde Alice of Legend had disappeared, back to her own world. The Spades and the Diamonds were both striving to put their royals on the vacated throne, but the Clubs and the remaining Hearts would not align themselves with either. And so, though the Cards still ruled, Wonderland had fallen largely into a state of anarchy.

But, it allowed the rise of certain folk-heroes and Javan Devillius had been a legend. The young Ace of Spades had quickly made a name for himself, both among the Cards and the people of Wonderland.

He was a revolutionary. He was a fighter. And most important to his fame, he was a jabberwock slayer.

Lord Devillius had paraded that jabberwock skull through the streets, to the cheers of all of Wonderland.

And the legend had been born: of how this brave young man had marched into Tulgey Wood, tracked the jabberwock for days on end, subsisting only on berries and lake water, and in the end had battled to the death with the hideous beast, and brought back its head.

Which was far from the actual story, but most legends are.

In truth, he had become separated from a hunting party out chasing borogrove, and had, by chance, come across an old and badly injured jabberwock. One that would likely have been dead within hours left on its own. And even in its crippled state, it had nearly bested the young Ace, inflicting more then a few wounds before Lord Devillius had sunk his blade and ended the creature's miserable existence.

The hunting party had come upon him just as he was finishing severing the head from the neck. In spite of its size, they had dragged the head all the way back to the city, and the legend was born in earnest.

And he had relished his celebrity status.

He had become a member of the council, championed the cause for a Spade King (not him as he was Ace bloodline, not royal), and in general helped to rule Wonderland.

Things had gone well until Mary Constance Devillius Heart (his second-cousin, and daughter of the exiled Queen of Hearts) returned to the heart of Wonderland, commanding an army and bearing the Looking Glass and Stone of the Kingdom of the Knights.

The Cards had put up little resistance as she reclaimed the throne of Wonderland, and thus began the reign of a ruler far more callous and vindictive then her predecessor ever was.

And Javan Devillius was eventually forced to flee and disappear, with only his head on his shoulders.

…

The day had not ended nearly as promising as it had started.

Lord Devillius had taken great effort to convince the wavering council that Hatter was the guilty party. After all, who else could it be? He had the history, the experience, the cunning, the dubious past playing both sides. And, above all, location. Who else from Wonderland had his kind of access?

What made the argument that much stronger, was that Lord Devillius truly believed Hatter was guilty. And five of the remaining Aces had eventually agreed with him. King Jack did not, but he had said nothing.

But Lord Devillius had seen the dread, the horror and agony, that flitted across Jack's face and remained, barely discernible but present in his eyes, when he suggested that they hold Hatter to trial in Court. And it had pleased him immensely.

How much tea would Jack have to consume to be emotionless as he condemned his ally to death, in front of the Oyster that he was so fond of, no less? Lord Devillius knew that it was only a matter of time before King Jack would break. The strain was already visible, even through the well-practiced mask and the tea-induced placidity.

It was no secret to any of the council that the King was back on oyster tea. It was hardly subtle. However, they all seemed content to just let it slide. After all, a few of them were still battling the addiction themselves. That, and it wasn't enough by itself for Jack to lose all credibility. And the king was being extremely careful.

But if Jack were to show weakness to the masses, or to break down, Lord Devillius had no doubt that the council would move to remove him as king, and the royals from the other suits would once again be able to vie for the monarchy.

But the idea of Court was stayed in favor of dosing, at Hatter's own request. Dodo had been surprised and more then a little outraged. Then he had noted the king's great reluctance, and the looks that were passing between the king and Hatter. And was that fear in Hatter's eyes?

They were both concerned about the outcome. And Dodo had to wonder why. And how he could turn this to his advantage, to take down Hatter, or the king, or both.

When council had broken for lunch, he had instead slipped away, a different destination in mind.

The scientist had looked like he wanted to jump out of his skin when Lord Devillius had burst into his lab, a storm brewing in his face. He offered a bribe, and gave implicit instructions. Terrified, the scientist had just nodded, and breathed a sigh of relief as the lord exited in much the same manner as he had arrived. Then he had slowly turned back to the concoction before him, and reached for an additive.

Lord Devillius had eyed the terrified Hatter, tied to a chair, expecting at any moment for the boy to back out. Especially when the Honesty was brought in, a ridiculously large amount of Honesty. But Hatter had surprisingly opened his mouth and taken the dose.

And promptly let the council know it had been tainted, which drew the wrath of the oyster and she had been removed, much to Dodo's delight.

But that was the last thing that had gone in Dodo's favor. King Jack had taken the task of questioning (probably a back room deal between the two), and had kept Hatter focused on the situation at hand. And the Ace of Hearts had only let the questioning go on long enough for them to know that Hatter was telling the truth, and only on the one issue.

Hatter had been sent away, under the guard of the king's best men, to be hidden until the Honesty wore off.

And he could feel the change in the council, even as they resumed the business of deciding what was to be done about the issues at hand. He had lost a battle, at a time when he couldn't afford to.

He knew much of the council was afraid of him. He was Resistance, and he was fiery tempered. If he disappeared back underground, they knew that their government would be in trouble. A new Resistance was the last thing they needed. And he also had a wealth of knowledge and experience, and for that he was respected.

But he had just wrongfully accused one of Wonderland's newest heroes. One that had played a major part in giving the council back some of the power that they had been stripped of under the queen's rule.

And the legend that was this second Hatter and second Alice of Legend was far trumping the legend that had been Lord Devillius.

**AN: Hard to write, but a bit of back story was needed. Hope you like. Please read and review. Much love to those who have been reviewing. :)**

**Coming soon... hopefully: a lemony one-shot of Jack and Duchess. At least, I've started writing it... I'll have to see how it turns out.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: This chapter's a bit short - but it seemed like as good a place to break as any. Enjoy and please review. Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers! :)**

The morning light fell across Hatter's face, warm and bright. For a long moment, he lay there with his eyes still shut, his body taking in the sensations that were his Alice. He could feel her head on his shoulder, her forehead against his neck, her soft hair spilling down his ribs, her breath whispering across his chest. He smiled, contentedly, and allowed his eyes to flutter open.

He was feeling much better this morning. His mind felt much calmer, he wasn't babbling or feeling the urge to say everything that crossed his mind, the Guilt had completely worn off sometime the evening before, and his Alice had told him that she loved him. He wished it could have been under different circumstances – that she could have told him without the help of Honesty, but it had been said now, and he knew, and it felt amazing.

Now if only the last of the Honesty would get out of his system, everything would be as it should be. But try as he might, Hatter still could not formulate even a small lie. And that concerned him – quite a bit. Wonderland wasn't exactly the kind of place that you could afford to only be able to tell the truth. Alice's world wasn't much better. He would be at a definite disadvantage, anywhere.

What if it was permanent? The thought flew across his mind, and made him feel slightly sick to his stomach. He knew they had given him way too much, but he had thought by now it would be gone. Unless it damaged him. He remembered an old customer of his – a man who had badly overdosed on Peace. He was always hitting Hatter up for some Excitement, as it seemed the only drug that could counteract the almost dopey, half consciousness he seemed to be stuck in.

Hatter had finally taken the poor man to the Hospital of Dreams, so that Caterpillar could treat him. Hatter started to wonder, did Caterpillar have a treatment for too much Honesty? The idea of becoming Caterpillar's patient did not appeal in the least to Hatter – he had seen a few of the prescribed "treatments". But if it came down to that or having to be honest for the rest of his life...

Hatter was wide awake now, and his new anxieties were making him restless.

He gently eased out from under Alice, trying not to wake her, and placed her head gently on his freshly abandoned pillow, before easing himself into a standing position, and heading into the bathroom.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror – the chaotic hair; the heavy stubbling on his chin (he knew he needed to shave soon); the dark eyes that were, at present, far too revealing.

"Lie!" He commanded his reflection. "Anything! Just... lie! Please!" But his eyes just reflected back the awkward reality that he was talking to a mirror.

He could hear Alice starting to stir in the other room. He finished up in the bathroom, and slowly turned to rejoin her.

She could see the trouble in his eyes right away. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

Hatter, for a long moment, kept his mouth shut. At least he seemed to be able to hold the Honesty back by not talking. But as Alice's face started to reflect his worry, he opened his mouth and told her, "I still can't lie." He sounded deflated.

Alice had been expecting worse, judging by the look on his face, and she let out a bit of a sigh of relief. But then it hit her – the Honesty was still in his system. For how long? Everything that Hatter had told her about tea indicated that it typically had a short-lived effect on the drugged. "Shouldn't it..." She stopped. That wasn't going to make it better.

"I thought it would be gone by now, out of my system." Hatter shuddered, before adding quietly and a bit mournfully, "I think it might have damaged me."

Alice's eyes grew wide, and a lump rose up in her throat, but she shook her head. "They gave you a lot. It's probably just going to take a bit for your body to recover." At least she didn't have to be completely honest. But Hatter's words had alarmed her, and now she was getting angry again. If they damaged her Hatter, someone was going to pay!

Hatter could see Alice getting upset again. He needed to say something. "If it doesn't clear up soon, I'll go see Caterpillar at the Hospital."

Unfortunately, that just made Alice more upset, as she flashed back to the shrieks and hollers of the Hospital of dreams, and the image of the woman plunging headfirst down a seemingly endless rabbit hole.

And then his words just came. "It'll be okay, Alice," he reassured, something that had become second nature to him. He didn't quite realize until a moment later that he had just belied his own fear to ease hers. His mouth dropped open.

"Alice, I just..." Hatter's eyes got wide.

Alice was never happier to have someone admit to lying to her. It was a small white lie, like the one she had just told him moments earlier. And normally it would have annoyed, not elated her. But this was not a normal circumstance, by any stretch.

Then he focused, tried to formulate another lie, any lie, only to be completely unsuccessful once more. Alice saw the look of frustration cross his face.

"What?"

"I still can't lie."

"But you just did... sort of."

"Yeah, but I don't know how I just did, because I just tried to do it again and I couldn't."

"So don't try." Alice walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "The Honesty is starting to wear off, so just try not to think about it." She got an impish grin on her face. "You'll be lying again in no time."

She was rewarded with a flash of dimple, and Hatter visibly relaxed.

…

Then a soft knock came at the door. Alice and Hatter shot each other a quick look, before Alice walked across the room to see who it was. The guard barely said a word to her, just handed her an envelope, embossed with a Heart. She shut the door, and turned back toward Hatter, opening the card.

"What is it?" Hatter asked.

"A royal summons, apparently." Alice scrunched up her face and looked unimpressed.

"What are we being summoned to?" Hatter's brow knit.

"Breakfast." Alice dropped the card and stalked across the room and threw herself back on the bed. "With Jack and Duchess."

"Really?" Hatter almost laughed at how dramatic Alice was being over it. He thought he was the dramatic one.

"Duchess I can handle, she's actually been kinda great... surprisingly," Alice laughed to herself. But then her face darkened. "But I don't want to see Jack." She practically spat his name.

Any jealousy Hatter ever had for Jack Heart dissolved in that instant. He could hear only loathing and disgust in Alice's voice for the man she had once ran clear across Wonderland trying to save. Hatter felt the corners of his mouth twitch slightly.

But then, he did something he never thought he would ever do. He spoke up... in Jack's defense.

"Jack's not that bad, Alice." Whether or not he could lie, this was not one, and it surprised Hatter.

"He let the council accuse you of selling tea. He was going to let them put you through Court!"

Hatter winced at the mention.

"He knew you didn't do it, but he didn't stand up for you! And he let them give you Guilt!" Alice's voice rose with every accusation, almost cracking on the last one. "How can you even defend him?"

Hatter swallowed hard. "He's weak, Alice. And he's addicted to tea. And I don't think he's got a clue how to run a government." If Hatter was shocked at what was coming out of his mouth, he was more shocked by the emotion running behind it. Compassion. Empathy. And without taking tea to feel it. "But Jack's a good guy. And he cares about Wonderland. He wants to fix things." And that was the core of it. For once, in a very long history of royals that didn't care, Wonderland finally had one that did. Even if he was weak. Even if he was Jack.

Alice was surprised by the passion in Hatter's voice. She struggled to stay unmoved. She didn't want to forgive Jack. She wanted to rage at him. She had watched Hatter suffer for the past two days, felt his frustration, and even his pain. And here he was, defending the man who wouldn't defend him!

Hatter could see the conflict in Alice's eyes, and the anger that still burned bright there. He wished there was something he could say to cool her fury, but it was something she would have to work through on her own.

"Jack didn't know about the Guilt." The words had jumped out of his mouth before he knew he was even thinking them.

Alice softened slightly. "I know," she admitted grudgingly.

"You do?"

"Yes." She sighed. "But he still let it happen." Then she looked at him for a long moment, and an odd and almost slightly amused look took over her features, until Hatter started to squirm under her gaze.

"What?"

"You're defending Jack!" The Jack. The same Jack he had railed against all the way across Wonderland, trying to convince Alice that Jack was a no-good, unworthy liar who was just using her for his own ends. And now, when she was railing against him, he was actually standing up for the guy.

Hatter looked almost ashamed of himself and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, guess I am." Then he shook his head slightly. "Though I ought to be right pissed at him for giving you Honesty."

Then it was Alice's turn to squirm. "It wasn't Jack," she admitted reluctantly. "It was Charlotte."

"Duchess?" That surprised him.

Alice nodded. Hatter pursed his lips, but said nothing. Finally, after a long pause, he rolled his eyes and said, "Well, I suppose we ought to get ready. After all, we've been summoned." Just a hint of the old cocky Hatter shone through.

Alice nodded. "I call first shower."

Hatter got a twinkle in his eye. "That shower's big enough for the both of us." And that wasn't a lie either.

…

They were both late for breakfast.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Lots of love to those who review. Without further ado, here's the next installment. Sorry they are taking longer to post... life's a tad busy at present. Please read and review. Constructive criticism always welcome.  
**

**Also, for those interested, an M-rated story surrounding Jack and Duchess is now up - it deals with the night immeadiately preceeding this chapter and immeadiately following chapter 8. It's called Small Victory. Enjoy and please review.**

Jack swirled the blue liquid around in the small bottle, loathing it as much as needing it. Weakness, he thought with disgust. But his emotions were just too close to the surface to manage without a dose of Calm.

He felt arms encircle his waist, and he felt ashamed. "I'm sorry, Charlotte," he murmured.

"You aren't dealing with the council today, Jack," Duchess whispered softly into his ear. "You don't need it."

Jack shook his head. He knew Alice was liable to be furious at him, and Hatter was difficult to deal with at the best of times. And Jack's emotions were still too raw to deal.

"Just a sip," he said softly, putting the bottle to his lips. Duchess looked away.

…

Hatter and Alice both felt a little awkward as they were ushered into a long dining hall, inhabited by a waiting Jack and Duchess.

Duchess smiled warmly as she greeted the two, but Jack avoided Alice's eyes, and shot a slightly impatient look in Hatter's direction, and was rewarded with a bit of a suggestive smirk, as Hatter glanced over at Alice, who's hair was still damp. Jack shook his head slightly, a mildly pained look flitting across his face, and he fought against rolling his eyes.

There was little conversation as they sat down at a ridiculously long table, covered in all manner of breakfast foods – toast and jam, fruit, pastries, sausages, cheese. And there were teas and coffee, and juice. There was easily enough to feed a dozen people, yet the table was only set for four.

Hatter heaped his plate high with toast and sausages and pastries, and happily poured himself a cup of tea. Jack's staff had ensured that food had been provided for them, but Hatter had been under too much stress to really eat during the past two days. With much of the pressure off, his appetite had come back with a vengeance, and the spread really was delicious. Whatever the summons was really about, it could wait.

Alice had never been much for breakfast, but she indulged in a few sausage links as well as her toast and fruit, and had a much-needed cup of coffee. She tried her best to avoid looking at Jack, and the food made a worthy distraction.

It wasn't until appetites were sated and the servants had cleared much of the table, leaving only the coffee and tea pots, that Jack finally broke the silence that had hung over the breakfast table.

"I wanted to apologize, to both of you, for how you've been treated since you came back," he started, a bit contritely. Then he turned to Hatter. "And I'm sorry we had to treat you like a suspect." Hatter stayed silent, but nodded slightly. Jack sighed a bit. "I want you to know that this is not the reception you will get every time you visit."

"Visit?" Alice finally made eye contact with Jack, anger written across her face. "This wasn't a visit, Jack!" She glared at him darkly. "We came because of the emotion teas, that's it. And you treated Hatter like a criminal!"

Jack took a deep breath. "I know. And I wish things could have been different, I'm sorry." He looked over at Hatter, but Hatter remained unusually silent. It unsettled Jack a bit. But he continued. "But I wanted to talk to you, about coming up with a plan to catch whoever is selling the tea."

At this, both Alice and Hatter straightened, their attention now on Jack. He paused for a moment, as a servant entered with a fresh pot of tea. When they had exited again, he continued. "Whoever is supplying it on our end has to have connections high up. Very few people have access to the looking glass." He lowered his voice. "Furthermore, when the looking glass is supposed to be powered down, it is instead diverting to the secondary location. No one can transport from there to your world, but it is obviously diverted there on the return trip for a reason. We just need to find out what that reason is." He paused. "But it would indicate a Spade, someone with former White Rabbit connections."

Alice gasped. Hatter's eyes widened, but he still stayed mum. Jack had been expecting a verbal response from Hatter on that point, and the lack of one was starting to irritate him. Usually, Hatter wouldn't shut up.

"Hatter?" Jack now spoke to him directly. "What is it?"

Hatter shifted uncomfortably, and glanced at the servants, who were once again tending the table. He shook his head. There was no way he was going to talk when he could risk being overheard.

But Alice didn't catch the clue. Anger swelled in her again as her focus turned once again to Hatter's predicament, and Jack's role in it. "He still can't lie properly," she blurted, with a dark glare at the king.

"Alice," Hatter groaned out, throwing his forehead into his hand. Jack and Duchess exchanged looks of dismay. It took Alice a moment to realize her misstep, then she started cursing to herself. The two servants shifted uncomfortably, glancing at each other.

Jack immediately rose and addressed the two. "Not a word of this to anyone, you hear!" There was a strong threat underlying his words. The servants both looked a little frightened as they nodded and scuttled out of the room. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving only the four in the room.

Hatter cursed at the floor, not raising his head from his palm. Information was the most valuable type of currency in Wonderland, and he knew it was unlikely that a piece like that would go unsold. Now he didn't have a choice. He needed the Honesty gone, immediately.

He raised his head to find all three of his companions watching him.

"You're still under the effects of Honesty?" Jack's voice was heavy with concern and guilt.

Hatter nodded reluctantly. His fears from earlier in the morning began to revisit him. "I've tried to lie, but I can't. Except subconsciously," with a small glance in Alice's direction. "You gave me too much. I think it might have done something to me."

Jack's eyes flew to Alice, and he cringed, seeing the dangerous look in her eyes.

Then he focused back on Hatter, because Hatter was asking him a question. "Can Caterpillar be trusted?"

Jack looked surprised. "Of course," he replied, plainly.

Hatter eyed Jack suspiciously. "Are you sure? I don't want any other Resistance getting word of this." The comment was pointed, and Jack knew at who.

Jack nodded.

"We need to go see him, see if there's a treatment." Hatter's mind worked quickly to formulate a plan. Years of experience had taught him to think on his feet, even under duress. And it had come in handy a few times in the past two days. "You'll need to come up with an excuse to take a scarab, and you'll need someone that you can trust to fly it."

"The Ten of Clubs can fly it," Duchess spoke up softly. "He can be trusted."

Alice was still reeling a bit from the sudden shift, and the negative emotions that were swirling around in her mind. She was still kicking herself for her slip up, and battling the anger that she felt toward Jack. But she knew that right now, she needed to be thinking clearly, and pushed the emotions back. And surprisingly, it worked.

"We can say that we're going to visit Charlie," Alice suggested.

Jack agreed. "It might be a good idea to actually go visit Sir Charles," he said. "After we've dealt with Hatter's problem that is."

Hatter nodded, once again falling back to silence. He didn't trust himself to speak. He didn't want to know what would slip out of his mouth. He dreaded the visit to the Hospital of Dreams, but had no choice but to take action, as his predicament would not be secret for long.

The familiar cold hand of panic wrapped around his stomach once again and squeezed.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Okay, ended up re-writing this one several times and am still not completely satisfied with it... but can't figure out how to make it better, and Charlie is beckoning my muse using his dark arts. So, without further ado... Kind of a long chapter, my apologies.  
**

**Oh, btw, this one leans quite a bit on my one-shot "Failed Experiment"... also makes passing mention of things that happened in "How He Left". Hope you like. Please read and review. My muse thanks you!  
**

Hatter reached for Alice's hand as they followed Jack through the hospital doors and up to the receptionist (a creepy, rather bored looking woman who seemed to have a fascination with tormenting insects). He held onto her with his left hand, not currently trusting the power in his right hand combined with his nerves. And he was doing a good enough job crushing her fingers with his left. It had been years since he had set foot in this building, and the last few times had been to bring a patient, not to be a patient himself.

He shuddered at the howls and yells that echoed through the hallways as they made their way to the elevator that would take them to the fourth floor.

Alice found herself shivering and briefly wished she had chosen to remain with Duchess and Ten in the scarab (Duchess had politely declined to come in, saying that someone needed to keep an eye out, but Alice had seen the fear and discomfort in her eyes). But she pushed it out of her mind, and squeezed Hatter's hand. She could feel his fear of this place, and a wave of guilt hit her once again.

If only she had been more careful.

But then, she acknowledged, that was the problem. She simply wasn't careful enough in Wonderland. Whereas she was street smart and could keep herself out of danger in her own world, here she seemed to always rush off without thinking, doing or saying things and getting into trouble. Or rather, getting Hatter into trouble. It had certainly been that way the first time she'd come. She had constantly run into danger, and come out unscathed, leaving Hatter to bear the brunt of the consequences – getting shot, getting tortured, having to fight his way out of situation after situation. And she had inadvertently done it again.

And now Hatter was trying to comfort her. She could feel his hand relax slightly and his thumb briefly rub up and down the side of hers. She swallowed hard, once again overwhelmed by his devotion.

...

Caterpillar was just exiting a room, stepping through what Alice had thought was a solid glass window, back into the hallway. Behind him, a semi-comatose man sat, surrounded by almost psychedelic swirls and pulses of colored lights. She wondered, briefly, what that was supposed to be a cure for. At least it didn't look painful or terrifying. But she could hear the shrieks and hollers of other patients, and she knew that not all of Caterpillar's treatments were as benign. She hoped that the treatment for Honesty wasn't anything too horrible.

Jack bowed politely to the Resistance leader, his hand respectfully over his heart.

"What brings you here, your majesty?" Caterpillar's practiced lack of inflection made his question sound more like a comment.

"Hatter," Jack replied, "has had an overdose of Honesty. We need your help to cure him."

Hatter stopped and pulled back slightly as Caterpillar's face came up, within inches of his, and stared into his eyes through thick spectacles. "How?" It still sounded more like a statement.

Both Jack and Hatter shifted uncomfortably, but Hatter felt the answer coming out anyway. "I was dosed. They were questioning me about selling tea in the other world." Hatter realized, a bit happily, that he had managed to leave out the detail that he had asked to be dosed. Another sign that perhaps the Honesty was wearing off?

Caterpillar's eyes betrayed nothing. "When?" was his next question.

"Yesterday morning."

"Hmm." And with that, Caterpillar resumed walking up the hallway. Jack fell in step with him, and Hatter and Alice followed.

"How much was he given?" This time, Caterpillar's question was directed at Jack.

Jack shot an almost frightened look over his shoulder at Alice, as though he expected her to hit him, before replying, "Too much. A quarter of the dose would have been sufficient."

"Yet even at that dosage, the tea would be gone by now," Caterpillar's voice droned. He paused and looked over at Hatter again, waiting for an explanation.

"But I'm still stuck being honest," Hatter said. "I can't tell a proper lie, can't even think one up."

"So the Honesty is gone, but honesty remains." Caterpillar took a close look into Hatter's eyes again. "And so we ask why?"

Hatter sighed. "I think it might have damaged me somehow," he admitted, yet again.

He was granted another "hmm" from Caterpillar, and he once again resumed walking up the hall. Then he spoke, though it seemed directed to no one in particular. "Honesty is hard to distill, as it seems ingrained in every person to mix the truth with lies. Even in its purest form, it is very short-lived, as instinct itself fights against it."

"So why can't Hatter lie?" Alice asked, finally.

"His instincts appear stuck," Caterpillar replied. "He will need to be tested."

Hatter swallowed hard, and his hand squeezed Alice's fingers even tighter. She yelped slightly.

Caterpillar stopped suddenly, and turned a sharp left, through a glass wall that no one had even noticed was there until he passed through it. And as they entered the room in similar fashion, it flooded with bright light.

Alice was surprised to find that this room looked relatively normal – like a real hospital room. There was a white-sheeted hospital bed, shelves of what looked like medical supplies, and white cement walls. The only real difference was that one wall was almost entirely a mirror, and that one of the other walls had several fist sized holes in it.

And it was on those fist-sized holes that Hatter was now fixated, his eyes wide.

"Twenty-four years," Caterpillar said, looking pointedly at Hatter, "and still the evidence of your last stay has not been completely wiped away."

Hatter looked at Caterpillar, a bit surprised. Caterpillar had not been among the doctors treating him. He had only learned about Caterpillar years later, as he worked for the Resistance.

But Caterpillar remembered. Remembered the small group of survivors, rescued by the Resistance from one of the "institutions" run by the White Rabbit's scientists. And a young, very sick boy with a very powerful and very out-of-control right fist, and even more out of control emotions. He had nearly brought down the entire west wing of the hospital before he had learned to control them. Caterpillar had overseen the treatment, but the boy had been far too volatile for direct involvement.

Hatter looked back at the holes in the concrete and shivered in remembrance. And as he did, Alice noticed something strange in the mirror. Although Jack's and Caterpillar's and her own reflections remained unchanged, Hatter's reflection wavered, and in its place, there was now a scrawny boy with wild eyes and wild hair, covered in cuts and blood, with a very swollen right arm. Alice gasped and jumped back.

Hatter looked up, then shrank away from the mirror in horror, tripping and landing in an ungraceful sitting position on the foot of the bed. No, he mouthed, but no sound came.

Jack and Alice both looked from Hatter, to his reflection, and finally to Caterpillar, waiting for an explanation.

And finally Caterpillar simply said, "Patient five hundred and seventy two cannot overcome the effects of Honesty, and so he must face the truth until he remembers how to lie."

Alice cringed at the clinical tone of Caterpillar's voice, and the way he had reduced Hatter to just another number. It just felt so detached.

And with that, Caterpillar turned and walked into the mirror, and the reflection and the man disappeared simultaneously.

Jack took Alice's arm. "Come, Alice," he said softly, pulling her toward the glass surface.

Alice moved to walk away, but Hatter's hand, instead of releasing, just squeezed more tightly onto hers. She hesitated. Hatter's eyes didn't leave the mirror, but the young boy in the reflection looked at her, pleading.

And Alice made her decision. "I'm staying with him."

Jack's eyes widened. "Alice..." he started.

"Damn it, Jack! I'm staying with him!" Alice yelled.

Jack pulled back, then drew himself up, and reluctantly turned and stepped through the mirror.

The boy in the mirror looked gratefully at her, but with frightened eyes, as the scenery around him started to swirl and change.

...

Alice sat down behind Hatter on the bed, and wrapped her arms around his waist. She was almost tempted to watch what the mirror would show Hatter, but she didn't want to pry. That and she wasn't sure she wanted to see Hatter's past. He had been telling her about it, and parts of it were bad enough to hear about. She didn't want the accompanying visual. So she buried her face against his back, and resisted the urge to look over his shoulder as he started to react to what he was seeing.

She didn't know how long she sat there, in the silence, feeling Hatter's every response beneath her – tensing, shaking, breathing hard, and at one point what felt like a violent but silent sob. She just held him, and stroked his back, but she wasn't sure if he was even aware of her presence anymore. But then, just as suddenly, his whole body relaxed and his breathing returned to normal.

Now Alice couldn't fight the urge, and she peeked her head over his shoulder and looked at what was in the mirror.

It was Hatter's office, in his tea shop. The white furniture, the grass carpeting, the glass wardrobe. But Hatter's reflection was still that of a young boy, still covered in cuts with a swollen arm, though wearing the pork pie hat and the paisley shirt and velvet pants that he had worn the day they had met. The day they met! Alice looked over, and caught the eyes of her own reflection, wearing a very wet blue dress. She could almost feel the wet material clinging to her, and she shivered.

No, she could actually feel the wet material clinging to her. And she looked around in shock, because the hospital room was gone and she was standing in the tea shop again, facing the boy-Hatter as he walked around behind her bearing the purple jacket, and as he leaned forward and spoke the words that had offended her so badly the first time. "Do I need a reason to help a pretty girl in a very wet dress?"

It sounded all wrong coming from the mouth of a young teenager, even if it was Hatter. She wheeled around and glared at him.

The boy's eyes took on an angry, almost injured look and he said, "Oh, I see. You don't trust me." Had the adult Hatter's eyes looked like that, their first meeting? She didn't have time to ponder it, because the background swirled around both of them, before rearranging itself.

And Alice gasped, and reached to grab whatever she could, which was the side rail of a ladder. Vertigo took her as she looked over the edge of the narrow sidewalk of the city.

The boy-Hatter stood there again, and asked her what was the matter. She felt herself saying, "I've got a thing about heights." It was like her life with Hatter was now on repeats, only with Hatter being much younger.

As she took his hand and he started leading her along the ledge, she noticed a glimmer of something in his eyes – a bit of warmth at the small bit of trust she was giving him. Then the scene swirled and changed again.

She relived with him the escape from the library – where she had run back to rescue him from a losing fight with Dodo. Again, she noticed something in the boy's eyes, a strange kind of hope. She wasn't sure what this had to do with why Hatter couldn't lie, and she really didn't understand why he was seeing it all through the eyes of his young self. But she seemed to have no choice but to repeat the exact situations.

When the scene reorganized into the tea shop, with Mad March standing on the front porch, the boy-Hatter and the scene around him froze, and he seemed to just be staring at the rabbit-headed man across the bridge. And a strange look came into his eyes, sadness and almost a bit of longing, mixed with the understandable dread. Then he said, "It can't be," and like that, the scene swirled away.

They relived the jabberwock chase, Charlie, and the moment by the fire where he said, softly (and this time she heard him even more clearly then the first time), "Jack's a lucky guy." And she saw a moment of longing and admiration flow through his eyes. That, she hadn't noticed the first time. Maybe the boy-Hatter was more expressive. Or maybe she was just more aware this time.

And then suddenly she was back in the hospital room, leaning against the adult Hatter's back, and watching over his shoulder, as he woke up from a dead sleep against a fence, staggered to his feet, looked over at the empty bed, then saw the purple jacket hanging on the ladder. Although there was no sound, it was obvious he shouted "NO!" (even the adult Hatter, sitting trance-like in front of her jerked in response), and she could see the look of agony and pain, mixed with fear and anger, that flooded the mirror-Hatter's eyes. For the first time she realized how much it hurt him when she left that first time.

"How long have you loved me?" she asked, out loud, to the real Hatter sitting in front of her. But he didn't seem to hear.

Then she was back in the mirror (which was now the Truth Room), jumping from a desk across a chasm, into Hatter's waiting arms, and the scene swirled again, and they were on the flamingo, then on the beach fighting, and she saw, for the first time, the hurt in his eyes when he accused Jack of using her and her response was, "And you're not?"

Then they were at the top of the hill above the ruined city, and she said, "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."

"You still don't trust me?" was the boy-Hatter's response, and she wanted desperately to say, "Yes I do trust you," but she couldn't, because she hadn't.

So instead, as the scene fast forwarded to another she asked, "What'll I do, if I get stuck here?"

And his response, which melted her again as it had the first time, was, "Then I'll make sure you're okay." And suddenly it was the adult Hatter standing in front of her, leaning in and saying, "Think your luck is finally changing." Their lips were almost touching.

And the scene froze, and Hatter and Alice both blinked a bit. "How'd you do that?" Hatter suddenly asked.

Alice had gotten used to just following along perfectly with the scene, so when Hatter spoke, it felt almost jarring. "Do what?"

"Make me into an adult again?"

"I don't know," she replied. "But there was no way I was going to almost kiss a teenager." Her face was still tantalizingly close to his, but she couldn't seem to move it closer. The mirror was still telling the truth. That was the kiss that never was.

And then the scene moved again, and Jack walked up, and Alice and Hatter both fell back into the story, unable to change what had happened. But she cringed inwardly, as she listened to Hatter, pleading with her to believe him and not Jack, and then finally resigning himself, and telling her to go. And she saw the pain, the dark tears that shone in his eyes as she went with Jack.

And then she was back in the hospital room, blinking in surprise, and watching a very different scene, one that she didn't know had happened.

He had told her about Dee and Dum, and the torture he had endured, and she had seen the scars he had to show for it. But he never told her about Mad March.

And so she watched him; beaten, battered and hatless, tied to a chair, the man with the cookie jar for a head standing before him. She couldn't hear the interchange between them but Hatter was glaring darkly at him, but with conflict in his eyes. Then Mad March pulled out a long knife, and Hatter threw himself backward in the chair and kicked him away. March moved forward again, and Hatter slipped out of the chair and used it as a shield to parry away the next slash, and used the third slash to cut the bond to his right hand. And then his right hand flew into the porcelain face of his assailant, shattering it into a thousand pieces. And Hatter kept hitting, again and again, driving the wires and mechanisms that had been Mad March's head, into the floor. (Alice could feel twitch after twitch in Hatter's body as she clung to him). Then, still tied by his left wrist to the chair, he did the last thing Alice would ever have expected. He crawled over to the fallen body, his reflection reverting back to the young Hatter, and he started to sob heavily.

And Alice could feel the painful gasps in Hatter's body.

But then she was back in the scene, and Hatter was a man again, and she was throwing herself into his arms, and hearing him mumble, "Oh that feels good," and she was apologizing for not trusting him, and he asked her, "Do you trust me now?"

When she answered, "Completely!" she saw his eyes soften and flood with emotion.

But then, what seemed like seconds later she was gasping in fresh agony. She was leaning over her father's dead body again, and Hatter was dragging her away as the casino shook and started to collapse. Her heart screamed at her, and she could see that Hatter's heart was breaking for her too.

The next few scenes blurred for Alice, as she was wracked by grief. She half-noticed that she was reliving the awkward goodbye, and she glanced back to see the agony in his eyes as she was pushed through the looking glass (and back out into the hospital room).

She found herself watching a few scenes that she didn't completely understand, although they were obviously happening in her world. At one point she was watching Hatter watching her teaching, through the dojo window, but she wasn't part of that scene. And she observed the anger and jealousy in his eyes as he watched her dragging Jack into the dojo late at night... and she found herself blushing fiercely. He had told her that they had sent him to her world, to a time six weeks before she had come to Wonderland, but he still hadn't told her much about that.

But almost instantly she was back in the mirror again, in her own house, and they were kissing, their first kiss, and she could feel the tension draining out of Hatter, and how he didn't want to let go, despite her mother's protests.

And the scenes kept coming. The fights they had, after which Alice always seemed to need reassurance, and Hatter always gave it. The first time they made love (and Alice was extremely grateful that the Hatter in the mirror was the adult one). And then more reassurances that he was happy there with her, and wasn't going to leave. And she could see a trace of hurt, even though he masked it with all the love he had for her.

Then they were in the bedroom at the palace, and he was laying on her lap, and she was forced to ask him that question, again, because she had, and forced to see the intense pain that she put in his eyes by asking while he was under a dose of Honesty.

And then she was drinking out of the bottle that Charlotte had given her, and finally reassuring Hatter that she did trust him, that it was herself that she didn't trust, and that she didn't feel worthy. And that she loved him. And the passionate way they had come together.

…

And just like that, it was over. Alice found herself back in the hospital room, and Hatter was blinking and turning around to face her.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked him gently, reaching up and sweeping his hair off of his forehead.

"I think so," Hatter replied, a little shakily.

"Can you lie?"

Hatter was silent for a long moment, his thoughts flying in a million different directions simultaneously. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "My mind, it won't settle."

The he pulled Alice tightly against himself, and lay a kiss on the top of her head. "Thank you for going through it with me," he murmured.

…

The mirror shifted as Jack and Caterpillar stepped back through.

"Can you lie?" Jack asked Hatter immediately.

Hatter shrugged.

"What day is it today?" Jack asked him, looking at him pointedly, daring him to say anything but Wednesday.

"Friday," Hatter replied, and a grin broke across his face. "Guess it worked."

After a moment, Alice turned to Caterpillar. "How did Hatter reliving his past make him able to lie again?"

Caterpillar looked over at Hatter. "The problem wasn't that he couldn't lie," Caterpillar said. Both Alice and Hatter looked confused, so Caterpillar continued. "Something happened because of the Honesty that he was afraid would un-happen. So his mind got stuck."

Alice turned to Hatter. "What were you afraid would un-happen?"

Hatter swallowed and didn't answer.

"Did you notice anything in the mirror?" Caterpillar asked her. "A recurring theme perhaps?"

Alice thought over everything they had re-experienced and slowly it started to dawn on her.

"Trust?" She looked at Hatter and his eyes told her that was the right answer. "You thought you would lose my trust if you could lie again?"

Hatter shook his head. "No, Alice. It's just that..." he broke off awkwardly, realizing that the two other men were listening as well. But Alice was still waiting. He took her hand in his and stroked it. "You showed me that you did trust me, but you didn't trust yourself. And since we've been together in your world, it has felt like you didn't trust me the way you did in Wonderland." His eyes got bright. "I needed to hear it, even if you did just say it because you had Honesty too. And you told me that you loved me." A small sob caught in his throat.

Alice threw herself back into Hatter's arms. "I do love you Hatter. And I trust you. And I don't need Honesty to say that anymore."

He clung to her for a long moment, and when he pulled back, there were tears on his cheeks but a huge dimpled smile on his face.

But then she remembered something, a moment in the memories. She leaned in close and whispered, "But we really do need to talk, about some of the stuff I saw." Namely, his reaction to Mad March, but she didn't say it at the time. Hatter went solemn and nodded.

Jack cleared his throat, uncomfortably. "We should be going. We need to pay Sir Charles a visit, and there are matters that need discussion." Oyster tea in the oyster world. And the culprit likely being a Spade of the court.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Afraid this will be the last chapter until after I move (so, September 1st or so). Bit of a filler chapter - it will get more eventful, I promise.**

**Please read and review. Constructive criticism and plot bunnies always welcome! Thanks to all who have reviewed - much love!**

**...  
**

Jack felt like an increasingly awkward third wheel as the trio made their way back toward the scarab. Hatter and Alice seemed to be in their own little world, and their bodies had barely broken contact since the treatment room. Right now, Hatter's arm was draped around Alice's waist, and she was leaning into him slightly. And every few steps, they caught the others eyes and started grinning all over again. If Jack hadn't known better, he would have sworn that they were high on a cocktail of Bliss and Desire.

But this wasn't tea. This was the real thing – an emotion that could never taste as sweet coming from a bottle.

…

The scarab flight to the ruined city was a long one, and a relatively silent one.

Exhausted from his experiences with the truth mirror, Hatter had quickly dropped himself onto the floor, leaning against the cool metal wall. Alice had seated herself beside him, and as he started yawning, pulled his head down onto her shoulder. He had fallen asleep almost instantly, a slight smile on his face. Alice had only stayed awake a minute or two longer.

Jack had been strangely silent and introspective upon his return to the scarab, and after a few unsuccessful attempts to get him to talk to her, Duchess left him to his thoughts and rejoined Ten in the cockpit.

And so Jack sat, staring silently out the window at the mountains and the lake passing by.

…

"Damn it Jack, I'm staying with him!"

Alice had yelled at him more than she had talked to him since she had come back to Wonderland. He tried not to let the hurt show – she had liked him once, but now it seemed she only despised him. He drew himself up, and with a final apprehensive glance in her direction, turned and stepped through the glass and back out into the hallway, leaving Alice with Hatter to endure the cure for Honesty.

"She chose to stay," Caterpillar said, his voice devoid of inflection, leaving Jack to wonder if he was asking a question or just commenting.

So Jack nodded. Caterpillar gave a hint of an enigmatic smile, and started to walk down the hall. Jack quickly fell in step with him again.

"Will it affect the treatment?" Jack asked.

"Perhaps," Caterpillar replied, but said nothing further about it.

Instead, he began speaking about the patients and the treatments as they passed each large glass window – treatments he had created for different tea-caused afflictions. Jack tried to listen and show the appropriate interest, but the truth was it made him highly uncomfortable, seeing the effects of tea-sickness and the treatments Caterpillar had created. And every time he came, Caterpillar carried on in the same manner.

He was grateful when, at last, they took the elevator down one floor and back to Caterpillar's office – a wooden rowboat full of books floating in the middle of a pool. Caterpillar had motioned him to a seat at the poolside, and had puffed on his hookah, blowing smoke rings, for a long moment in silence.

Finally, the older man put his pipe down and looked at Jack through his heavy spectacles. "Do you know why I always show you the patients?"

Jack hesitated at the question, his brow knitting slightly. "No," he finally said. He had never questioned it, just accepted that the tour would be part of every visit he had with the man.

"Won't even try to guess?"

Jack shook his head. Caterpillar never seemed to just come right out and say things directly, and right now he wished that the man would be more direct. He would likely be oblique, or worse yet, speak in riddles, and Jack would be left trying to figure out what he was actually saying.

So it surprised him when Caterpillar was remarkably blunt. "The emotion teas are fatal to our senses. As long as they are still allowed to exist, we are vulnerable, and Wonderland will not be able to recover."

"I know," Jack replied. "We aren't making any more, and we are destroying any that we find."

Caterpillar gave him a scrutinizing glance, and Jack felt exposed. He could feel the weight of the small metal flask of Calm in his jacket pocket. He wondered if Caterpillar knew it was there.

"And yet you bring me a man overdosed on Honesty," Caterpillar continued, "and a tea-steeped king."

The excuses Jack had used with Charlotte all died on his lips before his mentor, and he hung his head in shame. But Caterpillar acted like he didn't notice. Drawing one more breath from his hookah, he pulled to the side of the pool and stepped out. "Come," he said, and began to walk back toward the elevator that would take them back to the fourth floor.

The trip back toward Hatter's room was long and largely silent. They passed many patients, all behind glass walls, all being treated for emotion poisoning, but this time Caterpillar said nothing. Jack tried not to look at the glass walls, tried to focus instead on the white bubbles and the patterned floors. But his eyes kept drawing back to the windows.

And then he stopped, as a loud holler erupted from a room directly beside him. He glanced, inadvertently through the glass, and his blood turned to ice in his veins. The patient, a blond man in a disheveled and torn red suit, was banging his fists against the glass wall. And as Jack stared, the patient looked up, and Jack found himself staring into a sea of agony in his own tormented eyes.

…

Jack gave a low cry and bolted up out of his seat, his breathing slightly ragged. Against the wall, Hatter stirred slightly, but didn't open his eyes.

Jack wiped a hand across his face, trying to shake off the dream, but the eyes still haunted him for a good minute after waking. His conversation with Caterpillar had actually happened. Had he actually seen himself in one of the treatment rooms? He shook his head. No, that part had definitely just been a dream. But it unnerved him anyway.

He looked out the window again. "Get your emotions in check, Jack," he told himself softly, even as his hand reached inside his jacket and wrapped around the flask.

…

Ten landed the scarab in a clearing, a little ways away from the ruined city. The forest was too dense to take them all the way in. But it would be a short walk, and through a part of the woods that was not home to the more dangerous beasts.

Alice and Hatter took the lead, both eager to see their old friend again. Jack remained a little behind, helping Duchess to traverse the uneven ground. Charlotte had cleverly brought a pair of more reasonable shoes for walking, but it was still obvious that she was frightfully out of her element in the forest, as she gingerly made her way over the roots and dirt. She hoped it wasn't too far to Sir Charles' home.

Hatter and Alice saw the first few triggers for Charlie's perimeter alarm – a length of rope only partially buried as it ran across the path, a branch on a tree that had a bell attached to another rope that ran off into the woods, and an awkwardly positioned bush that was easily avoidable. They pointed them out to Jack and Charlotte, hoping that they would avoid them too.

The latter couple could see that this was a bit of a game for Hatter and Alice – that they were trying to get through undetected to surprise their friend.

But it wasn't to be. Whereas the first few sensors were easy to spot, as they got closer, the triggers were far less obvious. And so, despite being careful, they walked right into one before they even saw it, and in the distance off to the right, they heard a ruckus start up and a crow start cawing.

"Damn!" Hatter muttered, but with a big grin on his face. He could just picture Charlie falling out of his hammock and rushing around looking for anything to use as a weapon.

And sure enough, as they came through into the clearing, they could see the man running about in his long underwear, and hear him yelling something that sounded like, "Man the guard posts," and something about intruders.

Then he turned and his eyes lighted on the first two of his visitors. The barbecue skewer fell from his hand, and his face broke into a crazy, wide eyed smile.

"Just Alice of Legend! Harbinger!" Charlie cried out joyfully. And he rushed forward and Alice found herself caught in a tight but strangely fluttery hug – one that, this time, she returned enthusiastically.

"Hello Charlie, miss us?" The grin on Hatter's face was unmistakable. Charlie released Alice and made a big deal of patting Hatter on the back, all the while babbling excitedly that they had "come back, for another adventure perhaps?"

Then Jack and Duchess made it through into the clearing, and Charlie looked over at them in surprise, before placing his hand over his heart and dropping a little bow. "Your majesties." The almost childish excitement that had been in his voice greeting Alice and Hatter was replaced by a far more lordly tone. "Welcome to my home."

"Sir Charles." Jack smiled at the knight, as Charlie took Duchess' hand and kissed it gallantly.

"To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

Alice was still surprised at the difference in tone Charlie used when he addressed the king. He sounded almost, well, sane. But she knew that same "mad-as-a-box-of-frogs" Charlie lurked just beneath.

"We are in need of somewhere, safe from listening ears, to discuss important matters," Jack answered him.

"There are bad things going on again Charlie," Alice explained. "We need your help."

Charlie brightened at that, and dropped an exaggerated bow. "I am at your service Just Alice, your majesties!" He cringed as he slowly straightened up, but without the weight of his armor, he managed without Hatter's assistance.

Then Charlie looked back and forth between all his guests, as though he couldn't believe his good fortune. "A feast!" he burst out finally, excited once again. "Harbinger, you must help me to collect some firewood."

Hatter just rolled his eyes and laughed. "Just like old times."

...

**AN: I need to work on Charlie's voice a tad... struggled with it a bit, but hopefully I captured him fairly well. I need to rewatch his parts of the movie again, but my DVD player is packed. **


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I'm back, and I will try to have more frequent updates to make up for the longer times that have been my habit lately. I already have the next chapter almost half written. :) Please read and review... you know how much I love reviews! **

Sitting by the old fire pit, although a fire had not yet been lit, Alice couldn't help but smile as she watched Charlie and Hatter buzzing around the campsite, making the occasional light-hearted jab at each other, as they collected what was needed for Charlie's feast.

Jack and Duchess looked completely out of place, sitting uncomfortably on the provided seats (which were far from the plush chairs that typically graced their bottoms). Hatter, on the other hand, was very much at home, and there was a spark in his eyes that Alice hadn't noticed was missing until now.

Hatter swooped in and placed a kiss on her lips, letting his linger against hers for a moment, then with a wink, he was off again.

Alice often wondered how Hatter could care about Wonderland as much as he did, considering all he had been through here. It certainly had not been a land of wonder, a "children's story" in his lifetime. The magic of the place seemed long gone, replaced instead by cold machinery, scientists, dangers, and false emotions. Yet any time he had spoken of Wonderland, there was something in his eyes that spoke plainly of how much he cared about, even missed his world.

And out here, in the ruined City of the Knights, it was like he found a piece of home, a small bit of the old Wonderland magic. Even in ruins, there was something special about this place – even Alice could feel it. And Hatter was infinitely more connected to Wonderland then she was.

It was nearly an hour later that Charlie and Hatter rejoined the others at the fire pit. Charlie had expertly built a fire and had, to Alice's delight, put some borogrove on a spit, being rotated by another of his strange contraptions.

Hatter sat down next to Alice, his arm lazily wrapped around her waist. She leaned into him slightly, and was rewarded by a flash of dimple. "You look happy," she whispered to him.

"I am happy, Alice." He dropped a peck of a kiss on her forehead, before a far more serious look took over his features. He was back to business.

He turned to Jack and Duchess. "So," he said, "we need to come up with a plan, yeah?"

…

The conversation bounced around for hours, interrupted for a brief while when dinner was ready (Alice was beginning to think barbecued borogrove was her new favorite food). They brought Charlie up to speed on what was going on, aired their suspicions, and tried to brainstorm solutions.

With palace security being what it was, and the guilty party likely being an insider, it made any possible plan infinitely more complicated to pull off, and at length the conversation petered off into frustrated silence, everyone wracking their own minds for more ideas.

Finally, Charlie rose and bid them all goodnight, and headed for his hammock. Earlier, he had showed them the sleeping arrangements he and Hatter had put together for them. It had been decided (much to Charlie's dismay, as they were not married), that Jack and Duchess would share the bed. They had put together a makeshift mattress stuffed with ferns for Alice and Hatter to share (after Charlie made Hatter promise that he would be a gentleman toward Alice of Legend).

The other four remained by the fire for a long while, still trying to wrack their increasingly fatigued brains for more ideas.

…

A loud snore broke the long silence, and Alice giggled, as an impossibly ridiculous plan struck her. Jack raised a quizzical eyebrow in her direction.

"You should hire Charlie!" Alice burst out, and giggled again, "to guard the looking glass!"

"What?" Now all three of them were looking at her like she had lost her mind.

"Alice, Charlie isn't good at guarding." Hatter pointed out the obvious. "I left him to guard you, and I came back and found him sound asleep. And Jackie-boy here strolled into the camp and had him hog-tied in moments."

"That's the point." Alice grinned mischievously. "We let people think that the looking glass is only being guarded by a crazy old man. Then whoever is doing this might let their guard down and make a mistake that will let us catch them."

"It's… it's a bit brilliant," Hatter said, starting to snicker a bit too.

Jack looked shocked. "I can't tell the council that I am relieving a professional guard to hire Sir Charles," he protested. "They'll think I've gone mad!"

Alice wasn't quite sure, but she thought she heard a whisper, like an echo, saying, "We're all mad here." She glanced over at Hatter, but if he heard anything, he didn't show it. She shook her head slightly.

"It won't be enough," Duchess interjected finally. "We have to actually catch the people involved. We need someone who can do that. A secret guard, maybe."

"Who can you trust, though?" Hatter asked pointedly. "We don't know who's doing it or who they know."

"Surveillance!" Alice said. "Cameras. To catch who is doing it. We can set one up on my side of the looking glass, to see who comes through, and send the feed to Hatter's flat."

Hatter shot Alice a look of admiration. Even after all they had been through, and how tired they all were, she was still pulling out the best ideas of the night.

But then, "Too risky!" Jack shook his head. "It's hard enough to hide and explain away the presence of the looking glass there. If anyone ever saw anyone come through it, how could we explain that? We can't risk the surveillance being intercepted."

Hatter frowned slightly. He knew Jack was right. They couldn't risk it. There could be no explaining someone walking out of a mirror if anyone saw it. But it was still the best they had come up with so far.

"Maybe…" Duchess started tentatively, than paused. She wasn't entirely sure she understood exactly what was being discussed, and knew that she was at a slight disadvantage – she had never been to the oyster world, but they did have some of the technology here, that had been brought through from that world. "Perhaps surveillance on this side – in the great hall."

Alice smiled. "It might work."

"If it doesn't get noticed," Jack noted wryly. "I think someone might suspect something if they see a piece of oyster technology in the Looking Glass Hall."

"Pinhole camera." Alice wasn't going to let the idea go.

"What?"

"It's a really small camera. You wouldn't see it unless you were looking for it."

Jack was silent for a long moment, before agreeing finally, "It could work."

They discussed the plan a bit further, but soon Duchess was trying to hide a yawn, and it was contagious, because moments later, Alice started, followed by both Jack and Hatter simultaneously.

"Call it a night?" Alice suggested finally.

"You're the one with all the ideas tonight," Hatter grinned, and bit back against another yawn. "But I'm with you, yeah. Time for bed."

…

Hatter was exhausted, and quickly fell asleep, Alice wrapped in his arms. He could sleep almost anywhere, but the fern-mattress was actually quite comfortable, and it had been a really long day.

But long before he felt rested, consciousness found him again. It was still mostly dark, but dawn was just starting to gray the sky. He wasn't sure what had woken him up, but he sat up and surveyed the quiet campsite.

There was a small fire, once again, in the fire pit, and he could see a figure in long white underwear poking it with a stick.

"Charlie?" Hatter pulled himself off of the mattress, careful not to disturb Alice, and flipped his hat onto his head before approaching the man.

The knight was muttering to himself, what sounded mostly like gibberish, and didn't seem to notice Hatter's approach.

"Charlie!" Hatter spoke a bit louder.

Charlie jumped slightly, and rose to his feet. "Harbinger! Why are you awake at this hour?"

"Could ask you the same thing," Hatter mumbled back. The old man looked troubled. "What is it Charlie?"

"Dark times," Charlie muttered to himself. Hatter quirked an eyebrow. Charlie looked at him for a long moment, before leaning forward and whispering, "There is something very wrong with our king."

Hatter shot a confused look over toward the throne. But the Red King's skeleton was no longer seated there. Charlie had taken great lengths to give proper burials to all of his comrades-in-arms after their final battle, and the Red King had finally been laid in state.

Charlie noticed Hatter's gaze. "Not that one, Harbinger." His voice was gravely serious.

Then Hatter noticed that there was only one occupant in the metal four-posted bed.

"Where's Jack?"

Charlie turned his head and nodded up the hill a bit. Hatter cursed slightly, sparing one last longing gaze back at Alice's sleeping form, before he headed in the direction that Charlie had indicated.

...


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Wow, thanks so much for all the great reviews. **** My muse is very happy – she already has part of the next chapter written and it should be up soon! Enjoy! Cheers!**

_Jack rose, his eyes on the woman before him. The woman who had made his life a living hell for so many years. The woman who had drugged him and spied on him, and ultimately sentenced him to death. The woman... who was his mother._

_He knew his part. He knew the words. He had heard her speak them a thousand times. And now, he would speak them for her. _

_A tear found it's way out of his eyes, even as he steeled his voice and gave the command._

"_Off with her head."_

_He watched in growing horror, as his mother was led away. He stood, mute and shaking, but holding his composure as the man, dressed in black, raised his axe. He closed his eyes at the last moment, but he could still hear the axe strike, and the sickening thud._

…

_"Do you know why I always show you the patients?" _

_Jack opened his eyes. He wasn't in Court anymore. He was standing by the pool, and Caterpillar was regarding him from the rowboat full of books, as he calmly puffed on his hookah._

"_No." The word was practically a whisper coming out of the king's mouth._

"_Won't even try to guess?"_

_Jack took a step backwards, feeling horribly confused and shaken._

"_The emotion teas are fatal to our senses. As long as they are allowed to exist, Wonderland will not be able to recover." Caterpillar seemed to grow in size as he spoke, started to fill the whole room. "Yet you bring me a tea-steeped king!" His last words are a bellow. _

_Jack turned and ran through the door, only to run into an unyielding glass wall. The hallway was on the other side, but he couldn't get through. He beat on the glass with his fists, and let out a howl._

_A man in the hallway turned and looked through the glass at him. A man dressed immaculately in a red suit, every blonde hair in place. But as their eyes met, the Hallway Jack's eyes filled with horror and he backed away with a yell._

_Jack fled away from the glass wall, back through the door. Caterpillar was back to normal size, seated in his boat, calmly puffing on his hookah. He looked up as Jack re-entered…_

…_and his face split into a wide toothy grin. Green-yellow cat eyes blinked at Jack through his thick spectacles._

…

Jack leaped out of the bed, stumbling his way across the campsite, running from the Cheshire-Caterpillar. He tripped over something as he scrambled, not hearing a yelp from the White Knight as he hit the ground, his hammock upended.

He had stumbled his way almost to the top of the hill before his sensibilities started to return. Heart pounding, Jack slumped against a tree, breath coming in ragged gasps. He could feel something cold and hard in his hand. How he had grabbed his flask from the pocket of his jacket during his wild flight, he would never know.

…

Hatter grumbled to himself as he started up the hill in the half-dark, tripping a bit over some roots. Damn Jack! Couldn't he have stayed out of trouble until morning?

Hatter was only halfway up the hill when he heard the clanking of metal behind him.

He turned to see Charlie, now dressed in full armor, standing behind him. Or rather, half-hiding behind him, as he peered ahead into the trees.

"What are you doing, Charlie?"

Charlie drew himself proudly up to attention. "Protecting you, of course. You're always rushing into trouble."

Hatter fought the urge to snicker at the thought of Charlie protecting him. "Is that so?" he mumbled.

"Certainly. Lady Alice of Legend told me that you needed more protecting then she did." Charlie looked almost a little mirthful at this.

Hatter didn't know whether to laugh or be offended at that. But, as always, he turned his mind back to the issue on hand. He would ask Alice about that later. "Charlie, I'm just going to check on Jack. I don't need protecting."

"There is something very wrong, Harbinger." Charlie looked concerned again.

"I know, Charlie. The king needs help. But I don't think Jack will hurt me." And if he tried, I could take him, Hatter thought silently, but knew better then to say that.

He went a few more steps, Charlie clanking up behind him. With a sigh, he turned and faced Charlie. "You know, there are two women down at the camp, and they're sound asleep. I really think they need protecting more than I do." He looked at Charlie pointedly.

Charlie looked startled, but got the point. "Never fear, Harbinger. I will look after the women." He turned to march back down the hill to the camp, but turned and looked back at Hatter, who was starting back up the hill. "Harbinger!" he called out.

Hatter turned, a little exasperated. "Yes, Charlie?"

"Do be careful."

…

Hatter could dimly make out a figure, pacing back and forth in front of the tree-line. The man looked disheveled and exhausted, and his usually perfectly-styled hair more closely resembled Hatter's chaos, sans hat.

"Jack." Hatter heeded Charlie's warning, and called out to him from a safe distance. But he could quickly see that Jack posed him no threat.

The eyes that met Hatter's were hollow and tormented and agitated. In his hand, Jack clutched an empty metal flask.

Hatter sucked in a breath. He had seen tea-starved addicts before. The curse of tea-withdrawal was that the addict usually suffered strong bouts of the opposite and negative emotion. "You've run out of tea," Hatter stated.

Jack shook his head, and glanced down at a slightly moist patch of earth. A flinch of regret crossed his features before he looked away.

Hatter was surprised. "You're quitting?"

Jack nodded, before sinking down onto a log and pressing his palms to his forehead. For a long time, neither man said anything. Hatter stood for a moment longer, before sighing and dropping himself into a seated position against a tree. And he waited.

"I keep having this dream," Jack finally mumbled, not lifting his head.

Hatter looked at him questioningly, but said nothing.

"I keep seeing myself locked in one of Caterpillar's treatment rooms," Jack continued softly.

Hatter shuddered involuntarily. Not a dream he would want to be having, that was certain. Once again he felt a strange welling of empathy for the broken king in front of him.

"You shouldn't have gone back to taking tea, Jack," Hatter said, finally speaking. He tried to keep his voice from sounding lecturing.

Jack winced slightly, and his head sank down further. "I didn't want to. I was feeling… for the first time in my life, I was having real emotions." He shook his head. "I had to. I couldn't manage…"

Jack clenched his eyes shut.

"_Off with her head!" his own voice taunted him, followed by the sound of an axe strike, and a thud._

_And his mother's body stood before him, but where her head should be, there was just a wide toothy smile, hanging in mid-air._

Jack gave a yell and fell backward off the log. His eyes flew open, and he looked up into the concerned face of a very startled Hatter.

"Jack!"

This man who cowered on the ground in front of Hatter was nothing like the Jack he had known, albeit briefly, two months earlier. Back then it had been a game to try to crack Jack.

Now, Hatter was wondering what it would take to mend him.

Jack stood up and tried to brush the dirt off of his trousers and worked at steadying his breath. He tried to avoid Hatter's scrutinizing gaze, knowing what Hatter must be thinking.

"I'm not mad, Hatter." Jack was fighting to regain his composure. "I know it must seem that way right now."

"It seems you are having a bad reaction to tea, actually," Hatter replied.

"Caterpillar turned into a Cheshire in my dream," Jack blurted. "And just now, so did my mother."

Hatter's eyes widened. "A Cheshire?"

Jack nodded.

Hatter let out a breath. "I didn't know they still existed."

A long silence fell between the two men. The sky warmed from a pale gray to a vibrant pink and red. And finally Hatter said, "We need to get back to camp." He glanced sideways at Jack. "You should get cleaned up a bit first. There's a stream just off to the left."

…

Alice and Duchess were both awake and sitting by the fire with Charlie when Hatter made his way back into the camp. They both jumped up as soon as they saw him.

"Where's Jack?" Duchess sounded frantic.

"He's alright, just cleaning up by the stream," Hatter replied wearily.

Alice ran to him and threw her arms around Hatter's waist. "Charlie told me that Jack went crazy in the middle of the night, and you chased after him."

"He had a nightmare is all," Hatter said with a half-hearted smirk. "He gave Charlie a bit of a fright, but he's fine."

Alice looked at Hatter sharply. He wasn't telling her everything, and she could see something important in his eyes.

"What is it?" she demanded.

Hatter sat down by the fire, and motioned the three toward him. "He was dreaming about a Cheshire," he said softly, as though divulging a secret.

Both Charlie and Duchess reacted with identical startled expressions. Alice was surprised, but it was at the reactions of the others, not the news.

"So?" she asked finally. "This is Wonderland, right?" The Cheshire cat had been a key player in the book. Besides, "I dreamed about a Cheshire cat when I was here too," she said.

Now Hatter was staring at her. "When?"

"Remember the night I left and they took me to the casino?" She winced a little, remembering what she had seen in the mirror, the hurt look in Hatter's eyes the morning he had found her coat. "I must have been dreaming, but I was following my cat Dinah through the woods, and she took me to the house I grew up in, and just before the door closed, she grinned at me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She didn't like the accusing tone that she caught in Hatter's voice.

"I didn't think about it," she snapped back slightly. "Why is this important?"

"Cheshires are a part of the old magic of Wonderland," Hatter explained. "I would never have believed that they still existed."

"So Wonderland used to be magic?"

Charlie nodded, sorrowfully. "Once, it was." His voice took on a distant tone.

"No one has heard or seen a Cheshire in over a hundred years," Hatter said softly. "My great-uncle was one of the last to see one."

"Madigan Hatter was your great-uncle?" Duchess' voice took on a note of awe.

Alice stared at Hatter for a moment. "Your great-uncle was the Mad Hatter?"

"He was the Hatter, if that's what you mean," Hatter agreed. "The one who helped the original Alice of Legend, yeah."

…

**AN: This is going to be a really long and complex story if I keep adding new plot points like this. Argh. Blame my muse (I think she's addicted to the reviews … thank ya much to my reviewers … lotsa love). Stay tuned!**


	16. Chapter 16

Jack lingered by the stream a little longer then necessary. He had managed to get most of the dirt off of his clothes, and his hair was once again laying in some semblance of order. But he was reluctant to face his companions, unsure of how much Hatter would have told them.

He wiped a hand across his forehead and reached down into the stream to splash his face again. His eyes looked sunken and were showing far too much emotion, but otherwise he was looking far better. He took one last glance at his wavering image, and he swore he saw his reflection grin at him. He stepped back and shook his head, before turning to head back to the camp.

…

The camp was alive with activity. Hatter was talking to Charlie about guarding the looking glass, and Charlie was buzzing around, all in a flap, trying to figure out what all he would need to bring with him, and jabbering on excitedly about the call of duty.

With the men distracted, Duchess and Alice had opted to try to prepare breakfast. And try was exactly what they were doing. Neither had any experience cooking over a fire, and Duchess really had very little culinary skills at all. Alice admitted she was no chef, but how hard could scrambled eggs and toast be? Even if the eggs didn't look like any eggs she had ever eaten. They looked almost... purple?

Duchess shot a concerned glance over in Jack's direction as he entered the camp. Hatter had instructed everyone to act normally around him, figuring that Jack would probably prefer it that way. But he warned Duchess to keep a close eye on the man. And she would. He looked relatively normal, although a tad dirty, and he was clinging to his regal stance like a shield, but she could see that his eyes weren't right.

But she quickly had to turn her attention to rescuing a piece of bread before it charred. She smiled with satisfaction when she saw that this one was only a tad dark around the edge. She placed it proudly on the stack of "edible" ones. At present, the "inedible" pile was larger.

She pushed her hair out of her face, unaware that in doing so, had smeared her forehead with charcoal, and turned and smiled up at Jack. "Breakfast will be ready soon!" she said, a bit brightly. Then she bit back a curse as another precariously placed slice of bread burst into flame. "How does Charlie do it?" she muttered.

Alice looked over at Duchess' coal-smeared face and started to snicker. Charlotte looked up at her, realizing that Alice was a bit soot-coated and disheveled too, and within moments, both women were giggling hopelessly.

Hatter glanced over at them through the smoke their cooking attempt was generating. "Oi, mind the breakfast!" he called out, a big grin splitting his face. He gave a bit of a chuckle as he walked off to help Charlie with Guinevere.

In the end, most of the toast had charred edges, and the eggs were slightly overcooked, but it was edible – sort of. Charlie kept a smile on his face the whole time he ate, and even complimented the ladies on the "fine meal." Hatter, already not a fan of eggs, stuck to his toast and jelly, and secretly craved a plate of waffles from Molly's back in Alice's world. Jack barely ate anything at all, just pushed it around his plate. He had barely said a word since returning to camp.

…

Charlie and his horses (loaded up with half the camp), accompanied the four visitors back to the scarab. He had been adamant that he would ride out to the palace, rather then fly. Alice noticed Hatter spare an extra pet for Guinevere before he headed up into the scarab. She wished they had the time to ride back with Charlie, rather then fly, but they were all eager to begin implementing the plan, and the scarab would be faster.

Ten greeted them as they boarded, and gave a long, concerned gaze in Jack's direction, before turning to Duchess with a questioning look. "Later," she whispered to him as she passed.

Hatter noticed Ten's reaction and let out a hiss of breath. Jack needed to pull himself together before they reached the palace, or it would draw unwanted attention and questions. He hated to admit it, but Jack's decision to quit tea had come at an inopportune time.

Duchess had chosen to join Ten in the cockpit once again. Alice settled into one of the seats and motioned for Hatter to join her. He walked over and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll be back in a moment," he murmured quietly. Alice sighed. She could see the look in Hatter's eyes. It was all business.

Hatter walked over to Jack, who was sitting in another seat across the cabin from Alice. He had still said next to nothing since the hillside. And Hatter was getting very tired.

"Jack."

The man in front of him looked up at him, sighing wearily. "I'm fine, Hatter."

Hatter gave him a pointedly disbelieving look, causing Jack to sigh again.

"Jack, listen to me." Hatter was adamant. "You can't fall apart on us now. For any of this to work, you need to be strong."

"I know." Jack's eyes met Hatter's. "I'm trying." Hatter could clearly see the frustration.

"Ten noticed that there was something wrong right away. That can't happen when you get back to the palace."

Jack nodded, before turning his head away to stare out the window.

Hatter flopped down beside Alice with a sigh, and rested his head onto her shoulder. She smiled faintly at him. "You okay?"

"Looking forward to going home," he mumbled.

Alice felt a surge of warmth in her heart, hearing him refer to her world as his home. His home was with her. She leaned her head down on his and took his hand in hers. "Me too," she said softly.

…

The cabin of the scarab was quiet, only the quiet droning of the scarab engines and the occasional soft snore from its occupants breaking the silence. Hatter was drifting somewhere between waking and sleeping, a pleasantly drowsy place to be. But his eyes flew open in an instant when the sound of the engines was replaced by a very distinct purr.

Laying on his lap, though he couldn't feel it there, was a mangy-looking brown tabby, curled up as though asleep, and purring loudly.

"So now I'm seeing Cheshires too?" Hatter said out loud, with a bit of a sigh.

The cat looked up at him, appraising him with green-yellow eyes. "Are you?" The voice didn't seem to come from the cat, but where it came from, Hatter couldn't tell. It was like a distant echo.

"What do you want?" Hatter asked the cat.

The cat stood up and stretched, its eyes never quite leaving Hatter's face. But it didn't answer, just started licking its paw, like an ordinary house-cat.

Hatter rolled his eyes. "I know you're a Cheshire, so drop the act," he snapped at it, and was rewarded with a look of disdain and a sudden sharp jab from the cat's claw in his leg. "Ow!"

The cat jumped to the floor to avoid the sweep of Hatter's arm, and calmly went back to grooming itself.

"What do you want?" Hatter repeated, looking down at the cat on the floor. The cat looked away and ignored him.

Hatter sighed and leaned back in his seat, a bit frustrated. Different tactic. "Why are you tormenting Jack?

Now the cat was looking at him again, its head tilted to the side. "Tormenting Jack?" This time the voice was an echo coming from every direction but the animal in front of him. It was a bit disconcerting.

And Hatter suddenly realized that he was no longer in the scarab. He was standing on a hill in the half-dark. Jack stood in front of him, a flask upended in his hands, the contents pouring to the ground. And above him, on a branch of the tree, a mangy looking tabby with green-yellow eyes grinned.

Hatter woke up with a jerk, causing Alice to groan slightly as she was rudely tossed from his shoulder. The scarab was still in flight, although he could see the city looming ahead. He looked down at his lap, and then at his feet, but the cat was nowhere to be seen. It had been a dream then.

He sighed. If he didn't have enough to think about, now he had to wonder about the sudden reappearance of Cheshires and their interest in the group. He knew one thing from his great-uncle's ramblings – Cheshires were the most unpredictable of creatures, and very tied to the Old Magic that was once Wonderland.

…

Jack was back in control by the time they reached the palace. He looked tired and a bit ill, but he held firm to his regal air and his eyes were guarded and not nearly so wild. He offered his arm to Duchess, and strode from the scarab looking very much a king, though a rather dusty and traveled one.

"Summon the council to meet in an hour," he ordered the Nine of Clubs, who had come down to greet the group. Then he turned to Hatter and Alice. "It will give us time to get cleaned up. I'll have someone fetch you from your chambers in time for the meeting." And with a nod to one of the servants, he and Duchess disappeared through a side door.

They were led back to their chambers, and Hatter gave a sigh of relief as the door clicked shut behind them, and he and Alice were finally alone.

"Jack did okay," Alice said slowly, a bit in awe that he had managed to pull himself together like that. Obviously, it was a well-practiced trait.

Hatter gave a half-chuckle. "Yeah," he agreed, relief evident in his voice.

"Are you okay?" Now Alice was focused on him, her eyes searching his face.

"I will be." Hatter smiled, a bit of a tight smile. He spared a longing look at the large, comfortable bed. "Need a good night's sleep and some nice hot tea." He stretched slightly. "But a shower and a fresh change of clothes will do 'til we get home."

...

**AN: Bit of a filler chapter, but bear with me. More action is on its way! Please review! And as always, much love to those who are reviewing! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

Hatter did feel considerably better upon emerging from the steam-filled bathroom after his shower. For how much he loved the woods and Charlie's camp, he really was a creature of comfort, and the hot water had felt wonderful.

He could hear Alice, still in the shower, humming some tune. He had quickly learned of one of Alice's little quirks, one that he secretly loved – she sang in the shower. He grinned slightly as he listened to her. A bit off key, but adorable.

He opened the closet doors, and began poking through the clothes that had been left in it for him. "Bland. Bland. Boring." He rifled through the clothes. He found a pair of red trousers among them and wrinkled his nose. "Oi, I wear those and I'll look like Jack." He finally, grudgingly settled for a pair of black trousers and a cotton button-down in light blue. "Next time," he told himself, with a wry grin, "you bring your own change of clothes." He tousled his hair with one hand, and flipped his hat into the air with the other. It landed square on his head, and he surveyed his reflection with a shrug.

A sharp knock came at the door, and Hatter frowned. It hadn't been an hour yet.

He groaned and opened up the door, intent on sending whoever it was away for at least another fifteen minutes.

But his groan quickly turned into a growl. "What do you want?"

Standing in the doorway, a smug look on his features, was the last man Hatter wanted to see at his door... ever.

"Have an enjoyable outing, Hatter?" Dodo pushed past him and into the room. Hatter clenched his fist, ready to let it fly at the slightest provocation. Dodo smirked slightly at his reaction, before continuing. "Now why would a king and a hero of Wonderland leave, on such short notice? Perhaps they were fleeing a palace rumor that the conman couldn't lie?"

Hatter glared at him. Of course Dodo would have bought that piece of information. Hatter was very grateful that by this point, the information was outdated and therefore useless.

"What do you want, Dodo?" Hatter hissed, angrily.

"The truth. And you're going to give it to me."

And before Hatter could even react, Dodo had him pinned to the wall by his right shoulder and his throat. It still amazed Hatter how quickly the old man could move. And Dodo seemed to know instinctively how to disable Hatter's fist. He had learned quickly after the first time Hatter had let it fly.

"You and Jack have a secret. You're up to something. Tell me what it is!"

Hatter tried to wrest his shoulder free of Dodo's grip, but was unsuccessful. Damn. He glowered darkly at Dodo. "Sod off!" he hissed. And with that, he swung with his left fist and caught Dodo in the ribs.

Dodo responded with a hard punch to the side of Hatter's head, and Hatter crumpled.

Through the ringing in his ears, Hatter heard a yell, and watched his Alice tear across the room, soaking wet, clad only in a bathrobe. Dodo turned a second too late, and Alice delivered a hard kick right into his chest, driving him backwards. Then she grabbed him, pulled him off balance and threw him to the ground.

Hatter struggled to get to his feet. He could hear Alice yelling curses at Dodo as she pummeled him with her fists. Dodo, for how he could best Hatter, was powerless against the fury that he had awoken in the petite blackbelt. She managed to land more than a few solid punches before Hatter was able to pull her off the man.

Dodo pulled himself to his feet, fury written all over his features. He looked about to say something, but seemed to think better of it, and with a growl stormed through the door, nearly knocking over a very shocked looking Nine of Clubs.

Nine stared into the room, his gaze taking in the sight of a battered looking Hatter and a barely dressed and very angry Alice.

"Umm..." he faltered. "I'll... I'll get the king." And with that he rushed back the way he came.

Hatter released Alice and leaned against the wall, gingerly touching the right side of his face. The blow had caught his temple, and just enough of his right eye to blur his vision slightly and ensure visible bruising.

Alice turned to him, her anger forgotten. "Hatter, are you okay?" She reached up and gently touched his face.

Hatter winced slightly. "I'll be fine. You got him better then he got me." He gave her a wry smirk.

Alice let out a breath. "I've been wanting to do that for days," she admitted, and chuckled slightly. Then she eyed Hatter again. "You really need to learn how to fight better."

"Oi."

…

Jack burst through the door, alarm and fury written plainly across his face. He paused briefly, and turned his head out of respect for Alice's state of undress. Alice blushed slightly and quickly snatched some clothes out of the closet and disappeared back into the bathroom.

The moment she was gone, Jack turned to Hatter. "What happened?"

"Dodo," Hatter said flatly. "He came in here looking for information. About you."

Jack scowled slightly.

"He thought I still couldn't lie."

Jack nodded. "Nothing is a secret around here," he muttered. Then he looked at Hatter's face. "I'll get a medic to tend to that."

Hatter shook his head. "I'm sure that Dodo will look worse."

Jack gave a hint of a smirk. "Alice," he said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement, one uttered with more then a hint of admiration. Then he heaved a sigh and shook his head, before heading back to the door. "I'll deal with this."

…

Anger seemed to serve Jack well. It pushed back against every negative and out-of-control emotion that had been plaguing him since the night before, and gave him, instead, a feeling of strength. He stood before the council, for once strong and determined.

Alice and Hatter sat at the foot of the table, Jack at the head. Off to the right, another chair had been brought, and Duchess graced it, not a part of the council, but a part of the proceedings. Lord Devillius had not yet entered, and they were also awaiting an Ace of Diamonds.

Alice gripped Hatter's hand firmly when Dodo finally did enter the room. True to what Hatter had said, he did look worse. His face was swollen, and he was walking a little stiffly. He glowered at the couple at the foot of the table before stalking to his seat and dropping himself into it.

Jack eyed Lord Devillius coldly, and said nothing until the final Ace had taken his seat.

Then he finally spoke. "As you know, we have important matters that we need to continue to discuss. And as it pertains to their world, I have asked Lady Alice and the Hatter for their assistance until the matter of the tea is resolved." A general murmur of approval rippled through the council. Lord Devillius just glowered.

"However, I have been informed of an altercation that has taken place. Lord Devillius entered Lady Alice and the Hatter's chambers, and attacked the Hatter, seeking information." Jack glanced over at Dodo, a dangerous look in his eye. "I would like to request that, until the current situation is resolved, that another Ace of Spades sit on the council, on Lord Devillius' behalf."

Dodo's eyes grew red with rage at this, and several members of the council shifted uncomfortably. It was within the royal's right to request this – there had to be two Aces of each suit on the council, but a council member could be replaced, if deemed necessary, by another of the same suit and class. However, few royals had ever used this veto, let alone one so recently come to power.

Hatter could feel the mounting tension in the room, and hoped that Jack had enough support to put the motion through. Otherwise it would be a critical loss. What was Jack thinking? The plan was going to be a hard enough sell. But this? As much as Hatter would welcome Dodo being off the council, this was a risk he wished Jack had not taken. He was pitting his power against Dodo's.

Alice watched Hatter's face. She could read his concern plainly. And when she looked over at Duchess, she saw similar discomfort. Jack's stance was unwavering, but his eyes betrayed more than just anger. Even being unfamiliar with Wonderland politics, she realized that Jack had just taken a huge risk.

But the risk paid off. All but two of the Aces agreed that, for the sake of peace while they dealt with the issue, and in light of Lord Devillius' "lapse in reason" with regards to the Hatter, that another Ace would take his place, but only until the matter was resolved.

Hatter breathed a sigh of relief as Jack called for his men to escort Lord Devillius back to his chambers, and to bring him another Ace.

Dodo's eyes burned with hatred as he was led past the couple at the foot of the table, and he vowed to himself that he would make them pay, if it was the last thing he ever did.

…

**AN: A lot of you were waiting for Dodo to get his arse kicked... :) Hope you liked.**

**Please review. I love reviews. And thanks to everyone who has been following this story since the start. I know it has gotten very long, and will be even longer before it is done. Hope you're enjoying it!**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Bit of an odd chapter that I couldn't get to flow quite right, so please forgive me. Constructive criticism welcome! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and stuck with me this far! Please read and review!  
**

As a new Ace of Spades was not immediately available to fill Dodo's vacant seat, Jack called for an hour's recess. The members of the council seemed grateful, and quickly exited the room, leaving only the Duchess, Hatter and Alice with Jack.

As the door clicked shut behind the last councilor, Jack's regal stance broke and he half-collapsed into his chair, his whole body shaking.

Charlotte was at his side in an instant. "Jack, are you alright?" She placed her hand on his shoulder, lightly, almost cautiously. Jack just nodded slightly and rested his head against her arm.

"The council stood by me," he gasped softly, a hint of disbelief in his voice. Then he looked up at Duchess, with a touch of a smile on his face, and he reached up and put his hand over hers.

"I told you," she whispered back.

"You are a mad man, Jack Heart." Hatter's voice was a mixture of shock and admiration. "Of all the things to risk your new kingship on..."

Jack straightened in his seat and looked over at Hatter. "I did what needed to be done," he stated, with far more bravado then he felt (his heart was still racing). He paused, then added, "I didn't call it blind." He exchanged a knowing look with Charlotte.

"I talked to a few Aces," Duchess admitted, a bit of a smile playing on her lips.

"Am a bit glad he's off the council, for now," Hatter said finally.

Alice swallowed hard, trying to ignore the niggling fear that plagued the back of her mind. She had seen the look in Dodo's eyes as he had been taken from the room. And she knew their troubles with him were only beginning.

A light knock came at the council room door, and the Ten of Clubs entered, with a bit of a bow. "Your Majesty, we have a new Ace of Spades for you. Sir Nilson will sit for Lord Devillius."

Jack nodded. "Summon the others," he commanded. "Here we go," he added, under his breath, and swallowed hard.

…

There had been much discussion as to how much of the plan would be disclosed to the council. Without knowing who was behind the tea-smuggling, they could not risk giving up the better part of the plan, but enough of it had to be divulged to the council to gain their support.

It would be a fine line. The council needed to agree to the whole plan for any of it to work.

As expected, the council readily and unanimously agreed with the first part of the plan - that Alice and Hatter should be in charge of investigations on their side of the looking glass, and should report any findings back to the king and council. Likewise, most of the council supported a more diligent effort to find and dispose of the remaining tea.

Jack hesitated, glancing over at Hatter and Alice, before he presented the third part of the plan.

"We have asked Sir Charles, the White Knight, to come to the palace," Jack said to the council, trying to keep the doubt from his voice. "We have asked him to guard the Looking Glass."

Stunned silence met Jack's proclamation. The expressions on the faces of the various members of the council would have been comical were it not for the seriousness of the proceedings.

"Is this a joke, your majesty?" It was Sir Nilson who tentatively broke the silence.

Jack pursed his lips slightly. As he had predicted, this part of the plan made him sound mad.

"It isn't a joke."

Jack was surprised to hear Alice's voice cut through the silence. Surprised, but almost a bit relieved.

Alice cringed slightly when she realized that all eyes in the room were now on her. Public speaking had never been her strong point, and she felt more then a little intimidated addressing the ruling class of Wonderland. But it had been her plan. And just maybe, being Alice of Legend, she could sway the council.

She trembled slightly as her hand sought out Hatter's under the table. As soon as their hands touched, Hatter grasped hers and squeezed it comfortingly.

Alice steeled herself. "I know that this plan sounds crazy. But someone, possibly someone in the palace, is accessing the looking glass, and we don't know who. And we don't know which of the suits we can trust right now. We do know that we can trust Char... Sir Charles. He is not involved in this."

"He's a crazy old man," an Ace of Clubs protested.

"I know he seems crazy, but he managed to wage war on the casino single-handed," Alice pointed out. "And he helped save my life a few times. I trust him. He won't let us down."

"He's only one man. Right now we have an entire guard watching the hall," another Ace argued.

Discussion ensued, and Alice quickly found herself back on the outside of the conversation. Relieved, she just continued to hold tightly to Hatter's hand, and tried to follow the proceedings. Jack sat at the head of the table, trying not to let the strain show in his eyes. But his knuckles were turning white as he grasped the armrest of his chair.

Hatter silently observed the faces of the councilors, watching their reactions, trying to ascertain which way they were leaning. By appearances, most were quite skeptical, which was unfortunately understandable. But as his gaze fell across an Ace of Hearts, he paused.

The man was watching the proceedings closely too, but with a serious contemplation in his eyes.

Then the man spoke. "If I may," he said, his voice soft but firm. "It is a good plan. Though I have no doubt that there is more to it then is being let on." He gave a pointed look in Alice's direction. "I suggest that we give it a try." He looked toward the king. "We can always modify the plan if it doesn't work."

…

In the end, the plan was passed, with five of the eight votes, but with the provision that the plan would be revisited if it proved ineffective.

Jack stood and thanked the council, and dismissed them. As they started to trickle out of the room, Jack turned to Hatter and Alice. "We'll make preparations to send you back to your world shortly. You will join Charlotte and me for dinner?" Then he glanced over at the side door. "If you'll excuse me."

Charlotte's eyes widened apprehensively. "Jack, don't..."

Jack met her eyes. "I won't... I promise." Then he quickly strode out the side door toward his chambers.

Jack pushed the door shut behind him and locked it. He leaned against it and slid down to the floor – and finally allowed himself to fall apart. It had been his first council meeting, since his mother's death, that he had not had a drop of tea. How he had made it through without Peace and Calm, he wasn't sure.

Thankfully, the withdrawal didn't seem to be as bad as the first time he had quit tea.

…

Hatter watched the Ace of Hearts as he walked toward the door. "I'll be right back," he murmured to Alice, before striding toward the man. He recognized him as the same man that had put an end to the questioning when Hatter had been dosed with Honesty.

The man noticed Hatter's approach and paused.

"Who are you?" Hatter asked him.

"A friend, I hope," the man replied. Hatter started at his own words coming from the mouth of another man. "My name is Walter," he added.

Hatter looked at the Ace for a long moment, saying nothing. Then, "You swayed the council today. Why?"

"Because it's a good plan," Walter replied. "Even if I don't know all the details." At Hatter's apprehensive look, the Ace continued. "This issue needs to be dealt with so that we can move on. So that Wonderland can move on."

"You care about Wonderland?" Hatter sounded genuinely surprised.

"You aren't the only one who cares about this world, Hatter."

"I know." Hatter felt a bit embarrassed. "I suppose I just assumed that the Cards didn't care about the rest of us."

"In a lot of cases, that's true," Walter admitted ruefully.

"You defended me, when I was under the effects of Honesty. Why?"

"You're a hero of Wonderland. And you proved you were innocent." The Ace smiled slightly as Hatter cringed, yet again uncomfortable with being called a hero. "Besides, it was the least I could do. You fed me for years."

Hatter's eyes widened at this. "You were a refugee?"

"Yes Quite a few Cards were. The Queen wasn't an easy woman to stay alive around."

Hatter smirked slightly.

"You are a hero, Hatter, even if you don't care to hear it. You helped the new Alice of Legend, the way Madigan Hatter helped the old. He didn't fancy himself a hero either."

…

Hatter and Jack were both quiet and introspective as they ate dinner.

Duchess and Alice, on the other hand, chattered away comfortably – in the few short days that Alice had been back in Wonderland, she and Charlotte had somehow become good friends. Thinking back to their first meeting, it surprised Alice. But Charlotte was nothing like the Duchess she had met back then.

A small brigade of suits escorted the four to the Looking Glass Hall. It was once again brightly lit, though this time, far emptier. The same scientist who had pushed Alice through the glass the first time, was standing by the glass, making calibrations, looking as expressionless as before. Alice shuddered slightly, and reached for Hatter's hand. She hoped that the return trip wouldn't be as violent as her first one had been.

Jack placed the ring into the box, and the looking glass powered up with a hum. Then he turned to Alice and Hatter. "We're sending you back to just after you came. So you won't be able to come back here for at least four days. Do what you can. I'll have someone contact you."

Hatter nodded. "Take care of yourself, Jack. And tell Charlie we'll see him soon."

Alice looked over at the king, and she let out a bit of a sigh. "Sorry," she forced out finally. "I know we fought a lot." She felt more then a bit awkward, but Jack seemed to appreciate hearing it.

"Good-bye Alice," he said softly.

Alice and Duchess exchanged a quick hug. Then Hatter and Alice stepped up to the surface of the glass. Alice squeezed Hatter's hand, tightly.

"Ready to go home?" she asked him.

He smiled back at her. "Let's go!"

And they stepped through the glass and disappeared.

**AN: A nod to Malteaser - you asked, in a review, back chapters and chapters ago, who the Ace of Hearts who believed unshakeably that Hatter was innocent was. Now you know. Thanks for the inspiration.**

**Bit of a filler chapter again... sadly, they can't all be action and danger and Cheshires. But there is plenty more of that to come! Stay tuned. Please review (it makes my muse and me very happy).**


	19. Chapter 19

Jack stared at the surface of the glass for a long while after Hatter and Alice had disappeared. It would be so simple to, as he had once before, simply take the ring and step through and disappear into the oyster world. A part of him longed to do just that.

In the oyster world, in spite of having to constantly be on his guard lest he be captured by his mother's agents, he had felt freedom for the first time. And true, strong emotions. He envied Hatter, getting to live there, so free. He only hoped that, someday, hopefully under his rule, Wonderland would become as free. But he knew it would be a long, long road.

Duchess watched Jack's face, watched the emotions she saw swirling there. He was staring at the looking glass with... longing? In the moment she felt confused and conflicted. She had watched his interactions with Alice, closely, the whole while she was there – and she was certain that he didn't have the feelings he perhaps once had for her. And she knew for certain that longing was not for Hatter. Although the man was the closest thing Jack had to a friend, they still didn't have any genuine affection for each other. But the way he was staring after them, like he wanted to follow them, was very unsettling.

Duchess could feel herself getting upset, and she wasn't sure why. After so many years not being allowed to experience real emotions, she now relished the true responses she had to stimulus. But sometimes, she just didn't understand why certain things brought out the emotions they did. And right now, she was blinking back against tears, not knowing why she felt like crying.

"The looking glass is powered down now, sir." The scientist's words, and the ring being pressed back into his hand brought Jack back to the present, sharply.

Jack leaned in close. "Has it been double checked?"

"Yes sir," the scientist replied, then turned and walked off.

Jack stared at the ring for a long moment, then heaved a sigh and turned toward Charlotte. He was surprised to see a melancholy look in her eyes as well. He extended his arm to her, and as she took it, he whispered to her, "They'll be back tomorrow," thinking she was somehow missing her friends.

Duchess just forced a smile and nodded. "Tomorrow then," she managed.

"Come with me," Jack said softly, and together they exited the looking glass chamber toward the bedrooms.

…

The swirling vortex tried desperately to pull Hatter and Alice apart, but somehow they managed to hold on to each other. This time, having gone in feet first, although they both staggered and Hatter crashed into a wall before he regained himself, they came through the other side gasping but upright.

"How did the suits always make it look so easy?" Alice gasped out, leaning against the wall to wait out the vertigo.

"Practice," was Hatter's response. Alice cringed.

They made their way, quietly, back to Hatter's flat. Alice was once again trying to wrap her head around the fact that they were back, less then two hours after they left, so to anyone from this world they hadn't even been gone. The half a week spent in Wonderland had never happened on this side of the glass. She knew she was going to have to get used to the idea that the looking glass could bend time as well as dimension.

Hatter was practically dragging himself by this point. All he could think of was a hot cup of tea, a warm bed and a warm Alice in his warm flat. Only a few blocks to go.

He had little doubt he could convince Alice to stay the night. She had been staying more and more often, though he had rarely pressed her to. But their newest adventure in Wonderland had given their relationship another huge leap forward. Maybe it was time for some pressing.

Hatter breathed out an "at last" when they finally reached the door of his flat. Alice chuckled slightly, but she was more then glad to be home too. Hatter locked the door behind them and leaned against it for a moment, before he turned and went to the kitchen to put on the kettle.

He emerged a few minutes later with two steaming tea cups, to find Alice at the table, her laptop open in front of her, deeply engrossed in what she was looking at.

He sighed slightly as he deposited the cup of tea beside her. "Can we leave that for tomorrow?" he pleaded, pushing the top of the laptop down almost onto Alice's fingers, and doing his best puppy-dog eyes at her.

Alice relented quickly, and claimed her cup of tea. She could see how tired Hatter was, and if she was honest, she was rather tired herself. They took their tea into the bedroom, and Hatter stripped down to his boxers, and flung his hat across the room to the dresser, before positioning the pillows and sitting down, nestled into them. Alice opened a dresser drawer and claimed one of Hatter's plainer button downs, and joined him on the bed dressed only in her underpants and his shirt. She knew he loved the sight of her in his clothes.

And he did give an appreciative glance, but nothing more was to come of it that night. Normally, the shirt would have been back off of her in moments. Maybe after a good night's sleep... They sipped their tea in amicable silence, before burrowing under the covers. Alice curled into Hatter's body, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"I love you," was the last thing Hatter heard, and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep wiith a smile on his face.

…

Jack breathed a sigh of relief when the bedroom door clicked shut behind them. He wrapped his arms around Charlotte and buried his head into her shoulder. She returned the hug, needing its comfort as much as Jack did. For a long time, the two just held each other, allowing themselves a rare moment of unguarded emotion.

Finally Jack pulled away. "I need your help, Charlotte."

"Of course." Charlotte's blue eyes met his, pooled with concern. "What's wrong Jack?"

He turned and walked toward the small side room. Charlotte followed him silently. She watched as he shakily picked up a bottle of light blue liquid. Charlotte made a slight cry of protest as he lifted it toward his face. But he just stared at it for a long moment, swirling the liquid in front of his eyes. Then he hurled it as hard as he could against the side wall, reveling in the sound of breaking glass.

Charlotte put a hand up to her mouth in surprise, but smiled behind it. Jack turned toward her again. "Tell me the truth," he demanded, his eyes alive.

Charlotte's smile disappeared and she started shaking slightly. He knew. "I diluted them," she admitted finally.

Jack nodded. He had suspected it from the start.

Charlotte still looked a little frightened. "You were getting too addicted. I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to manage once you ran out. So I got the Ten of Clubs to help me." She looked troubled. "I'm sorry Jack."

Jack's eyes softened instantly. "No, Charlotte. I'm not angry at you." He looked at the woman standing before him, admiration in his eyes. "If it weren't for you..." he trailed off for a moment. "I knew there was something different. The withdrawal, it's not as severe." He shuddered. "It's bad enough, though. The dreams especially."

"Cheshires?"

Jack looked surprised and slightly annoyed. Of course Hatter would have told her. "That too. But I keep dreaming that I am a patient at the Hospital of Dreams."

Now it was Duchess' turn to shudder.

Jack turned back to the shelf of bottles. "I need to get rid of these. Will you help me?" He was shaking. There would be no turning back after this. The last of his tea would be gone.

Duchess smiled and took his hand. "Of course," she whispered. And with that, she picked up a red vial of Desire and sent it sailing across the room.

…

Deep in the forest, under the light of a waxing Gibbous moon, a small brown tabby with matted fur looked up from the mouse that it had just caught for dinner. It tilted its head to the side, as though listening to something, but the forest was quiet save for the rustling of wind in the treetops. Then it turned its head upwards, toward the sky, and grinned.

**AN: Sort of a shorter chapter, and not much action, but I figured that Hatter and Alice deserved the night off, and that Jack and Duchess needed a bit of alone time to sort things out. The Cheshire insisted. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviews! Much love!  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: So, sorry that it wasn't quite so quick an update as I had originally planned, but let me make it up to you by offering you two chapters at once. Shorter chapters, but two none-the-less. **

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and is still following my story. :)  
**

Alice woke up early the next morning. Hatter was still snoring lightly beside her. She lay there for a long moment, just feeling his warmth against her back, feeling his arms around her. Then she gently wriggled out from under his arm and pulled the blanket up around him. She smiled as he clutched at the blanket in his sleep and rolled himself tightly in it.

She went to the kitchen and put the kettle on, before opening her laptop. Before Hatter had made her shut it down last night, she had found a couple of good sites with information on surveillance equipment, and she knew that they needed to learn as much as they could about it.

She rescued the kettle from the burner before it started to scream, and made herself a cup of tea. If she had been at her mom's, she would have just put on some drip coffee, but Hatter didn't have a coffee maker. So when she stayed here, she started the morning with a strong cup of English Breakfast.

Then she sat down at the table, and started reading up on pinhole cameras.

Hatter slept hard and long, and woke up shortly before 9. He groggily blinked his eyes, surprised when he realized that Alice had managed to exit the bed without waking him up.

He could see that the light was on in the main room of the flat. He padded over to the doorway, still clad only in his boxers, his hair sticking up in more directions then usual. She was at the table, still dressed in only his shirt and her nickers, and so thoroughly engrossed in whatever she was doing on the computer that she didn't seem to notice him.

A mischievous smile played on his lips, and he crept around behind her. She still didn't notice.

Then he leaned in close and yelled, "Alice!"

And didn't pull away fast enough, as a startled Alice's hand instinctively flew up and hit him right in the nose.

"Bloody... OW!" Hatter staggered back, clutching his face.

Alice gasped and wheeled around. "Oh my gosh, are you alright?"

"Oi! You just hit me," Hatter accused, wiping his hand under his nose. He pulled it away, realizing his nose was bleeding.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me," Alice protested. Then she softened. "I didn't mean to hurt you." She quickly grabbed a handful of tissues from the box and thrust them into his hand. "It's a reflex."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hatter mumbled, muffled by the tissues.

Alice couldn't help herself and started to giggle. Hatter looked a little miffed at her reaction, which only made Alice laugh harder.

"Mmmff," Hatter snorted and walked into the kitchen. She could hear him filling the kettle, and rummaging through the cupboards. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his back. "Forgive me?" she whispered, softly.

Hatter twisted around in her arms. "Of course." He smirked slightly at her, before pulling her in for a kiss. When they broke, he chuckled. "When I did that to Charlie, he just fell out of his hammock."

Alice swatted him on the arm. "That's mean!"

"He was supposed to be watching you. He gave me some line about keeping watch on a higher plane." Hatter rolled his eyes. "Glad the council agreed to have him guard the looking glass."

Alice grinned. "Now we just have to get the rest of it set up. I've been researching..."

Hatter rolled his eyes. "We have four days to figure it out, Alice."

"I know. But I have to teach class during that time too, and prep two students for their testing. I can't spend all my time on the plan. So it'll mostly fall to you. And, we need to find out all we can about the tea being sold here too. There's a lot that needs to be done."

"Can it wait 'til after breakfast?"

…

Alice was not a procrastinator. Over waffles at Molly's (Hatter insisted that he was not going to run errands all day without a good breakfast), she constructed a list of things to do and places that they needed to check out before her afternoon class at 2. Hatter had grumbled good-naturedly around a bite of waffle about not being allowed a day to relax, but it was all dramatics. He knew they had responsibilities – to Wonderland and to this world - to do what they could to stop the sale of emotion teas.

The first two places that they visited were not as promising as they had hoped. The first one actually did sell pinhole cameras, but the image quality was so poor that they couldn't make out the person's features unless they were standing directly in front of the lens. Since it was unlikely that the perpetrator would gaze straight into the camera, they decided to keep looking for something better. The other shop they visited had an annoying and very pushy salesman, who spent most of his time trying to sell them a complete security system instead. Hatter had finally snarled at him, and Alice had quickly pulled him out of the store.

By the time they got back to the flat, Alice had to run to make it home to pick up her gi and then to class. She left the list by her laptop, but told Hatter that, if he wanted, since she had the day off tomorrow, that they could tackle the rest of the list then.

Hatter turned on the television, and found a channel with the news. He was hoping that there would be another report about the "new drugs", some new information that he could perhaps report back to Jack and the council. But he was disappointed when they simply reiterated the same information that they had seen "yesterday" that had prompted their whole trip to Wonderland. Then the newscasters moved on to a police chase that had occurred that morning, and a scam involving the elderly and bank machines.

Finally Hatter went back over to the table and picked up the list. He scanned it, noticing the places that had already been crossed off. There were three stores listed that they had not been to yet – mainly because they had to take the subway or the bus to get to them, and they hadn't had time before Alice's class.

He folded the list and shoved it into his pocket, and flipped his hat a couple of times before perching it on his head. He didn't want Alice to come home and find that he had done nothing.

…

Alice let herself into Hatter's flat, to find a crumpled list laying on the table, and Hatter pecking away at the keyboard of her laptop, his forehead scrunched up in concentration. Computers were not his strong suit – the first time Hatter had tried to use her laptop on his own, he had somehow managed to cause it to crash. Much cursing had ensued, and it had taken much convincing by Alice that it was worthwhile to learn to use one, before he would try again. He still usually gave up after only a few minutes, as he found the keyboard confusing. "Why didn't they put the alphabet in order?" he had asked her the first time he'd looked at it. Alice wondered how long he had been at it tonight.

"Find anything?" she asked as she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well, Frankie's Security didn't have anything. And the address you had for Electronics Unlimited turned out to be a bakery with really terrible scones." Hatter barely glanced up. He was attempting to type something into the search engine.

Alice leaned over his shoulder to read what he was typing. "Spy equip... spy equipment?" She released his neck and pulled a chair up beside him, interested to see what it would bring up. He finished typing the words and hit enter.

334,000 search results popped up. Hatter let out a huff of frustration.

Alice took the laptop from him and narrowed down the search by city. Still over 220,000 sites, but the first one looked promising. "The Spy Shop. All the latest cameras and gadgets." She clicked on the website, and there was a veritable catalog of every kind of spy equipment imaginable. Alice smiled, as she wrote down the address. "Definitely our first stop tomorrow."

…

Jack and Duchess stood together, gazing at the ruin of Jack's tea collection. Broken glass littered the carpet, and the far wall was wet and stained. For the better part of fifteen minutes, they had laughed as they took and threw every bottle of tea Jack had left, watching as the bottles shattered against the wall and the tea ran down, utterly ruined.

But now Jack was shaking. He had no more tea, no more safeguard against the more negative emotions that plagued him, and would continue to plague him. He only had his own strength and upbringing to lean on now. And he hoped it was enough.

Duchess noticed the change in Jack's mood and wrapped her arms around him. "You don't need them, Jack," she whispered in his ear.

Jack nodded and took a deep breath. Feeling Charlotte's arms around him had a strangely calming effect on him. He realized, suddenly, that Charlotte was a far stronger lifeline to him then the teas had ever been.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a passionate kiss.


	21. Chapter 21

_The subway ride was the longest Hatter had ever taken. They were going across town this time, not just three stops up. He fought his uneasiness, still not entirely comfortable with the method of transportation. There were just too many people, all crushed together in a metal tube that was hurtling underground through a long tunnel. Thankfully, where he and Alice lived, most things they needed were within walking distance._

_Alice smiled at him, and nudged him toward the sliding door. His hand released its vice-grip on the metal pole – he had learned early on to grip it with his left hand – and he followed Alice off the train and into the station._

_They headed for the stairs that would take them back to the surface. And that's when Hatter noticed him. A man, half a flight of stairs above them. He was wearing a suit jacket and dark gray trousers. His gray hair was neatly parted and combed in place. He looked like any other distinguished older businessman. Hatter couldn't see his face, only the back of his head, but something was wrong. Hatter's body positively tingled with the negative vibe coming off of him._

_The man paused, and half turned his head, not enough for Hatter to get a good look at him, but Hatter could sense that the man was somehow aware of him, somehow knew him. Then the man quickened his pace, until he was almost dashing up the subway steps._

_Hatter immediately took the chase, following the man up the crowded steps. He could hear Alice calling him from behind, but he barely paused._

_He burst to the surface of the city street, and looked around in the crowd for the man. But the man had disappeared. Hatter swung around, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of the man he had been pursuing. The crowd pushed past him, jostling him._

_And then suddenly he saw a flash of gray down a side alley. He turned quickly, seeing the man's retreating back. He charged after him, only to round the corner and find that the man had again disappeared._

_He heard retreating footsteps behind him and wheeled around to see the man duck around the corner, disappearing again._

_The cat and mouse game continued for quite some time. Every time that Hatter got close, the man simply disappeared, only to reappear at a distance – sometimes up some stairs, sometimes ahead in the crowd, then back into another alley. He stayed far enough away that Hatter could never make out his face, but Hatter had a disconcerting feeling that he knew the man – and not in a good way._

_Finally Hatter entered yet another alley, this one with a dead end. The man stopped at the back of it, with nowhere left to go. Hatter ran up behind him, grabbed the man by the shoulder and spun him around._

_And stumbled back in shock at the sight of smooth, featureless skin._

_The man had no face._

…

"_Your majesty, Sir Charles has arrived." The Ten of Clubs voice sounded from the doorway of the throne room._

_Jack jumped slightly and looked up. He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't heard the man enter the room. "Oh, very good," he said. "Send him in."_

_Ten bowed as he exited the room. Moments later, Jack could hear the heavy clanking of the White Knight's armor as he approached. The doors opened, and the man trotted in with his usual awkward gait, and dropped to his knee in a bow before the king. "Your majesty."_

_Jack looked down at the man before him, noting that Sir Charles had not gotten up. He waited, a long moment, before he said, "Sir Charles?"_

_With a heavy clank, the knight managed to get back to his feet, though with his back turned to the king. He shuffled around, until he was finally facing Jack._

_And that is when Jack noticed a large dark bruise that covered most of the right side of Charlie's face, and blood dripping from a gash in his forehead. The front of his armor was spattered and more battered then usual._

_Jack's eyes widened. "Sir Charles, what happened?"_

_Charlie's eyes grew wide and somber. "Dark times, your majesty." He cast a nervous glance toward the window, before stepping closer to the king. His voice was low and ominous as he said, "The city has gone mad."_

_Jack felt chills run up his spine, as he strode quickly to the window that overlooked the city streets. And what he saw turned his blood to ice._

_An angry mob, armed with torches, was approaching the bridge. He could see the small group of suits fighting them off, and flashes of gunfire, but there were too many people and too few guards, and within moments, the suits were overwhelmed._

_Jack stared for a long moment in horror, then he turned, yelling, "We're under attack! Security!" But no one answered his call. When he turned around, he realized that he was alone in the throne room. Even Charlie had disappeared, though a small patch of blood stained the floor where he had stood._

_Jack ran to the hallway and tore open the door, yelling once again. But it was deserted, and no one responded. Jack could hear the mob now, crying for blood and oyster tea. He could see the flicker of their torches far down the hallway._

_He turned and fled, racing toward his bedchambers, desperate. The angry tea-heads were gaining on him. He only had a few seconds to act._

_He dashed through the bedroom, heading for the small room that housed his tea collection. But the tea was gone – all the bottles were smashed and the tea soaked into the carpeting._

_He wheeled around, and the mob was upon him. And at the front of the mob, a visage he hoped to never see again. A woman in gaudy silk robes, with ridiculously long lashes and bright red lips and hair. She glared at him, her eyes practically glowing, and shrieked, "Usurper! Off with his head!"_

…

Jack sat up with a yell, sending his bed linens and bed partner flying. He gasped for breath, trembling. It took a long moment before the dream evaporated enough that he could hear Charlotte's soothing tones, feel her hands on his arm, her words assuring him that it had only been a bad dream.

…

Hatter jolted awake, and instantly cringed at the bright sunlight that met his eyes. Alice's side of the bed was already vacated, and he could hear her in the kitchen.

He shook his head groggily, feeling rather unsettled. Fragments of his dream, quickly fading, niggled at his mind, and he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something wasn't right. All he could remember was a man with no face.

...

**AN: Excuse my muse. She had nightmares last night and decided that if she had to suffer, so did they. Sorry if this chapter feels a little disconnected.**

**Please read and review. Constructive criticism very welcome. Struggling a bit with the story at present, trying to keep it on track.**

**Still working on the piece about Hatter and Mad March and their history (was going to be a one-shot, but it appears to have spawned into a several-chapter work. Hopefully I will have that up soon.**

**Update: "Hares and Hatters" is now up. :) Enjoy!  
**


	22. Chapter 22

The Spy Shop proved to have everything they needed, and really, considerably more. After selecting a couple of suitable pinhole cameras and their transmitters, recievers and monitors, Alice and Hatter couldn't resist poking around the store, playing with the other gadgets for quite some time. To Alice it was slightly reminiscent of James Bond movies. To Hatter, it was a plethora of new and amusing stimuli. And it was all Alice could do to drag Hatter out of the store before he blew a bundle of cash.

But they had the hardware they needed for the plan. Now they had to learn to use it, to set it up, and be able to do just that in Wonderland, before anyone realized they were there.

"It'll be mostly you setting it up, I reckon," Hatter stated nonchalantly as they headed back to the subway for their return trip to the flat.

"Oh really?" Alice shot him a look. "How do you figure?"

"Well, this is really important, yeah? It needs to work." Hatter glanced over at Alice with a wry smirk. "Can't have me crashing it the way I did your laptop."

"That's why we're going to practice setting it up, once we get home," Alice stated. Then she looked at Hatter, pointedly. "Both of us!"

…

Alice woke up early in the morning, surprised to notice that Hatter's side of the bed was already vacated – and for quite a while, considering the sheets on his side were cold. She pulled herself into a sitting position and yawned.

Then she heard Hatter giggle from the other room. Not laugh or chuckle, but truly giggle.

"What the...?"

"Morning Alice!" Hatter called from the living room.

Alice hopped out of bed and padded to the door to find Hatter sitting in front of the camera monitor. He seemed to be watching an empty bed...

Their empty bed.

He looked up and grinned cheekily at Alice.

"You set it up in the bedroom?" Alice shook her head. "You were watching me sleep? On camera?" She knew that Hatter liked to watch her sleep sometimes, but it was always from the position of laying beside her. Hatter watching her sleep via spycam felt almost a little creepy.

"Watching you wake up, mostly," Hatter said, and giggled slightly again. "Thought that yawn was going to split your head in half."

Alice rolled her eyes and strolled back into the bedroom. She looked closely at the dresser and saw that Hatter had clipped the camera to the band of his black fedora. If she hadn't been looking for it, she never would have seen it.

Alice felt herself starting to grin. This could prove to be a fun little game.

She hopped back on the bed, staring directly at the camera, and slowly began to pull off the shirt she had slept in, inch by inch, in a playful striptease. She knew, if Hatter was still watching, it would only be a matter of time before...

"OI!" And she heard the sound of running feet, and Hatter threw himself onto the bed with her.

…

Alice giggled quietly as she fired up the camera monitor. She knew that Hatter could not hear her over the sound of the running water in the shower. But she could most definitely see him, and the sight almost made her want to join him. But at the moment, being voyeuristic was more fun.

The camera boasted a top view of soaking wet and glistening skin, taut muscles and dripping hair, as Hatter took the shampoo and started massaging it slowly onto his scalp. His movements became more and more exaggerated, and finally he looked up directly at the camera and winked.

Alice huffed. He had noticed.

Then she exploded into a fit of giggles once again, as Hatter bent himself in half, and mooned her.

"Cheeky!" she yelled out, loudly enough for him to hear her. She could see him leaning against the shower wall, half doubled over with laughter.

…

By the time Alice got home from her afternoon training session at the dojo, she had all but forgotten about their morning games. She felt achy and sweaty and tired. She usually did after her black belt classes, and this one had been rough.

She could hear Hatter in the kitchen, humming away as he prepared dinner. "Smells good," she called to him as she headed toward the bathroom, stripping off her gi as she went. She turned on the water in the shower stall and at the last moment, remembered to look for the camera.

But it was gone from where she had clipped it, and she half-wondered where Hatter had hidden it this time. But as she turned around, she saw, instead of the camera, the monitor was set up on the back of the bathroom door. And she could see Hatter, in an apron, stirring something on the stove. He looked rather odd, and she took a step closer to the monitor, trying to figure out why.

Then he turned away from the stove, and she realized what it was.

Hatter wasn't wearing any pants. Or any boxers for that matter. For the second time that day, she found herself staring at his, albeit rather sexy, naked bum, this time sticking out from the back of the apron as he deliberately bent over to retrieve something from a bottom shelf.

Hatter grinned cheekily when he heard gales of laughter coming from the bathroom.

"May need to pick one up for myself," Hatter mused, half out loud.

…

By the end of day four, they were both experts at setting up pinhole cameras.

**AN: Okay, rather a short chapter - feels a bit like a one-shot more then a chapter, but my muse wouldn't let it go. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Another chapter is underway already, should be up soon. Read and review... please! Reviews make me very happy (Much love to my regular reviewers... you rock!).**

**BTW, for anyone interested, first two chaps of my new story "Hares and Hatters" is now up. It is a back story to March and Hatter.  
**


	23. Chapter 23

"Hey nonny nonny, hey nonny nonny, the wind and the rain, the wind and the rain. Hey nonny nonny..."

Charlie's warbles broke the stillness, accompanied by the soft clomp of horse hooves on the soft path. The city was visible now, towering up along the skyline. The forest was gone and now it was just open field and low hills the rest of the way.

"Almost there Lancelot," he spoke affectionately to his mount, a brown horse but one that he had whitewashed to match his armor, leaving the horse looking an odd mottled brown with white patches. Guinevere gave a slight snort from behind. "Yes, yes, Guinevere. I have no doubt that the Harbinger will be most happy to see you." The mare had taken a strange attachment to the man, and the Harbinger seemed to return the affection.

Charlie rounded a small hill, and immediately pulled his horses to a complete stop, and straightened in the saddle. Standing on the road, in formation, was a group of men in suits emblazoned with card motifs.

"Let me by. I am on the king's official business," Charlie said, with all the White Knight pride he could muster. Inside he was quaking slightly, but he proudly refused to show it. He didn't trust suits, not after his adventures with Just Alice and Harbinger. He knew that most of them were loyal to the king now, but when the king and Just Alice had shown up at his camp, he had found out that there were also traitors in their midst.

A man in a white suit, emblazoned with a heart and a four stepped forward, and placed a hand on his chest as he said, "Sir Charles, we are here to escort you to the palace, by order of the king."

Charlie drew back and eyed the man suspiciously. "The king said nothing of this."

"Sir Knight, the king gave us direct orders. The city has become an increasingly dangerous place. He wanted to ensure that you arrive unharmed."

…

The rest of the trip into the city was very slow. None of the suits that flanked his two horses had any mounts of their own, so the whole entourage moved at a walking pace.

Most of the suits were silent as they accompanied the man in beaten white armor. They knew he was a hero of Wonderland and a relic from the City of the Knights, but the man was strange and looked to be half-mad. And perhaps he was – after all, he had taken on a security force of suits with only an army of skeletons and a few large crossbows.

The city had a far different feel to it from the last time that Charlie had been there – the day that Harbinger had left to join Alice in her world. Back then, the streets had been relatively empty still, people only starting to emerge from hiding. And there had been an air of uncertainty that had hung over the city.

Now, the streets were far busier and louder, and there was restlessness and agitation. Charlie was unused to being around people, and he felt a growing apprehension and longing to be back home in the woods. People crowded around to watch the knight being paraded through the streets, but stepped aside to let the suits lead him by.

The suits still commanded fear among the Wonderlanders, and although it disturbed him, Charlie was thankful.

They were nearing the bridge that would take them to the restricted zone surrounding the apartments that were the current palace when a loud cry broke out in the crowd, and a woman with long blonde hair rushed forward, her eyes half crazed, a broken bottle in her hand. People in the crowd jumped out of her way as she dashed at the knight, yelling something about tea.

A loud shot erupted, causing both Lancelot and Guinevere to rear slightly, almost unseating Charlie, who struggled for a long moment to not fall off. When he managed to right himself, he looked down at the fallen woman, at the growing halo of red around her head.

He then turned in horror, seeing the gun still in the hand of a Four of Spades.

"You... you... you... you killed her!" he stammered, horror evident on his face.

"She was going to attack you," he countered.

Charlie just shook his head, a somber cloud falling upon the usually buoyant man. It would take a long time for that image to leave him. And perhaps longer to shake off the feeling of dread. Wonderland was still very broken.

…

"Your majesty." Charlie dropped a low bow, his armor clanking.

Jack looked down at the old man as he struggled to get back up, under the weight of his armor. He noted, to his relief, that there was no blood or bruising to be seen on the knight's visage. After his dream, he had been determined to take no chances, and had sent out a guard to escort him.

"Welcome, Sir Charles."

Charlie finally managed to straighten up, and nodded at the king. But Jack could see that his eyes were troubled and far more serious then he had ever seen the man's eyes before. All of the bubbly, almost childish innocence was gone.

"What is it, Sir Charles?"

"Dark times," Charlie replied, his voice deep and ominous. He shook his head sadly.

Jack shuddered, as memories of the dream flooded him once more. He jumped from his throne and rushed to the window, overlooking the bridge. But all was quiet. There was no mob, no one on the bridge except for a guard of suits. He leaned against the window sill and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is something wrong, your majesty?" Charlie's voice, directly behind him startled him back to reality.

He turned around with a forced smile. "No, Sir Charles. Just... bad dreams."

Charlie nodded emphatically. He could see that the darkness that affected the city also hung heavily on the king.

…

The phone call came from, of all people, Duchess.

"Everything is in place. Charlie is guarding the looking glass now, and you aren't expected for a good three hours. We will be leaving the glass powered up during that time so that you can get through."

Alice was surprised to hear Charlotte's voice. "Are you here? On this side of the looking glass?"

"Barely. I'm at the warehouse." Charlotte's voice sounded weary. "Rather a rough trip, isn't it?"

Alice laughed slightly. "Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so."

"Jack wouldn't trust anyone else to contact you. And he couldn't get away without raising suspicion, so he sent me. But I have to get back and not be anywhere near the looking glass when you arrive. Come quickly. You won't have much time."

"See you soon!"

Alice snapped her cell phone shut and turned to Hatter, who was already holding their two packs, his pork pie perched firmly on his head. "We have three hours," she stated.

Hatter nodded. "Let's get going then," he said, passing her the smaller pack.

…

Charlie marched back and forth in front of the door to the looking glass hall, his armor clanking sharply at every step. Every now and then he paused, nodding at a passerby or stopping to listen for any sound.

And finally he heard the sound he was waiting for - footsteps approaching the door from the inside. He drew to a halt and opened the door.

"Duchess." He gave a hint of a curtsey, much to Duchess' amusement, though she tried to hide it. Then he leaned in closely. "Do you have the ring?"

"Of course." She opened her palm just enough for him to see the glint of the stone. He nodded, satisfied. "They'll be here in three hours. Don't let anyone into the hall until then."

"Yes, milady." And with that, Charlie turned dramatically and began marching once again.

…

Hatter breathed a sigh of relief when he tumbled out of the vortex onto the floor of the looking glass hall, and not into Wonderland's version of the abandoned warehouse. Alice staggered a bit as she exited the glass, and would have kept her footing if she hadn't tripped over one of Hatter's sprawled legs. Hatter reached out to grab her, but was too late. She landed hard on her backside beside him.

"Ow," she moaned softly.

They both fell silent, listening to see if anyone had heard them, but the room was silent save for the slight hum from the looking glass. They both breathed a soft sigh of relief.

They pulled the cameras and transmitters from the pack, examining them to ensure that they had survived the trip unscathed. Then they turned, and looked around the room for the ideal hiding places.

Hatter had quickly found the perfect spot on the looking glass itself, and attached the camera so that it was barely visible, but still would have a clear view of anyone on the platform.

Alice examined the frame around the main door, trying to find a good vantage for the second camera. She could hear Charlie marching on the other side, and knew that they had to be quiet. She motioned Hatter over and indicated that he should lift her up.

Hatter removed his hat, with a grin, and stuck his head between her legs and stood up. She swayed a bit, for a moment, and Hatter staggered slightly. But after they both regained their balance, they approached the door, and Alice strained upward to reach the top of the frame to attach the camera. Even with their combined height, it was a bit of a stretch, but she could see the perfect little nook. She strained forward to reach it, unfortunately setting Hatter slightly off balance once again.

He put out his hand to steady himself, and it hit with a soft thump on the inside of the door.

Alice could see that Hatter was cursing silently, as Charlie's marching came to an abrupt halt.

Then the door flew open with a jerk, and Hatter lurched forward slightly, before falling backwards as Alice overbalanced on his shoulders. They both collapsed onto the floor at the feet of a very shocked and surprised Charlie.

**AN: Another 'set up' chapter, I know... sorry. More action is on its way, I promise.**

**Struggled a bit with Charlie's voice on this one... **

**Please read and review (much love to all my reviewers... reviews make me very happy). Constructive criticism always welcome! Cheers!  
**


	24. Chapter 24

"Intruders!" Charlie bellowed. "Impostors! Scallywags!"

Hatter hastily detangled himself from Alice's legs and threw himself at the knight, who was desperately attempting to draw his sword. He pushed Charlie against the wall and clamped a hand firmly over his mouth, and kicked the door shut with his heel.

Charlie's eyes were wide and startled, as he struggled to get out of Hatter's grip, and he still valiantly attempted to yell through Hatter's hand.

"Charlie, it's us," Hatter whispered fiercely at him. "You've gotta be quiet, yeah?"

He tentatively pulled his hand back from Charlie's mouth. Charlie wiggled his chin in exaggerated offense. "Impostors?" This time it sounded more like a question.

"No Charlie." Alice groaned as she picked herself up off the floor. Every bone in her back and her bottom hurt from the second fall in less than an hour. "It's us."

Charlie looked back and forth between Alice and Hatter. He didn't look convinced, and at the moment, he looked rather afraid of Hatter.

Alice took a deep breath. "You make the best barbecued borogrove. The first night that we were in your kingdom, that's what you served us. And you showed us your inventions." She grinned slightly at him. "See, it's us. Impostors wouldn't know that."

Hatter could see Charlie smile with recognition and visibly relax, and Hatter released him entirely and took a step back. But Charlie immediately closed the gap again, coming up in Hatter's face. "You attacked me!" he accused, rather loudly and aggrievedly.

"Charlie, hush!" both Alice and Hatter hissed at him. Hatter put his hand up for silence, and opened the door a crack to peer out. Thankfully there was no one currently in the hallway, but they couldn't risk being discovered.

He turned and clicked the door shut, because Charlie was chattering again, although this time far quieter, to Alice. "I was not expecting you yet. The Duchess told me not to let anyone into the Hall for three hours." He looked a little distressed.

Alice shot Hatter a look, and Hatter shrugged slightly.

"Charlie, you're doing a good job," Alice told him finally. "Hatter and I are here to enact part of the plan, and Duchess didn't want anyone to find us. This must be kept secret."

"I wasn't told about this." Charlie looked a little hurt.

"No Charlie," Hatter interjected. "Nobody knows the whole plan, just their part in it. Too risky. There's ways of getting information out of people." Charlie didn't look quite convinced, so Hatter, cringing inwardly, added, "Even Alice and I don't know everything." It was a flat-out lie, and he could feel Alice glaring at him for it, but Charlie looked a lot happier. "Now, we need you out there, like ya didn't see us. Yeah?"

"I won't let you down, Harbinger, Just Alice!" And with that, Charlie drew himself up, his armor clanking, and nodded at them. Then without a further word, he opened the door and strode purposefully back into the hallway, closing the door soundly behind him, and after a moment they could hear him marching back and forth once again.

Hatter blew out a breath. "Let's get this done and go," he stated. He moved to lift Alice again, but she didn't move. Hatter hesitated and looked up at her. She was glowering at him, her arms folded defensively across her chest.

Hatter screwed up his face in frustration. "What?"

"You lied," Alice accused. When he didn't show appropriate remorse, she added for emphasis, "To Charlie!"

"I was trying to make him feel better," Hatter protested. "And get him back out there without us having to explain everything." Alice didn't budge. "Look," Hatter said finally. "Let's get it up, and then you can yell at me all you want back on the other side, yeah?"

Alice heaved a sigh, and climbed back onto his shoulders.

…

They had barely picked themselves up off the warehouse floor before Alice confronted Hatter again.

"You lied to Charlie!"

Hatter bristled slightly. "I made him feel better didn't I?"

"And you couldn't have done that without lying to him?"

"Not as quickly, no." Hatter hated the hurt and angry tone of Alice's voice. So he tried to reason with her. "We were a little pressed for time, yeah? And we needed him back where he belonged."

"He's our friend, Hatter! He's going to be really hurt when he finds out."

"Why does he have to find out?"

"Hatter!" Alice was feeling horribly exasperated. It bothered her how easily Hatter had gone back to spinning lies. Had he learned nothing from having all that Honesty? It wasn't that she didn't lie – sometimes it was even necessary. But not flat-out lies, not to friends. Her loyalty went too deep for that.

They were still arguing angrily, their voices echoing in the empty warehouse, when the Ten of Clubs came through the looking glass to fetch them, more than an hour later.

He stood, rather awkwardly, and cleared his throat a couple of times before Alice and Hatter fell silent and acknowledged him.

"The king and the Duchess are waiting for you on the other side," he announced. "If you will…" He motioned toward the gilded mirror.

"Truce?" Hatter whispered to Alice as he joined her by the portal.

Alice released a huff of air, but nodded. And she took his hand as they stepped into the swirling vortex after Ten.

…

"They're back. They came through about an hour ago."

"Where are they now?"

"With the king. They'll be meeting with the council in a little less than a half hour."

"Do they know anything about the operation?"

"I doubt it."

"And the looking glass?"

Slight scoff. "Just guarded by the old knight."

"Hmm. And the ring?"

"She had it. She went through earlier to contact them. It's probably been hidden away again."

There was a long silence, and the informant shifted uncomfortably. He eyed the small bottle of green liquid that swung slightly in the other's hand. "You told me to tell you when they got here. And they're here."

"Very well." The bottle of tea slid across the table, and the informant grabbed at it greedily.

**AN: Sorry, rather short chapter I know, and sorry it took so long to post. Been rather a crazy week. Next chapter should be up faster.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	25. Chapter 25

It hadn't taken Hatter and Alice long to set up the monitoring system in a private room off Jack's bedchambers, and both Duchess and Jack had been pretty quick to pick up the basics associated with the spy equipment. Both cameras gave fantastic surveillance of the room. No one could enter or approach the looking glass without their image being recorded. The plan was in place – the trap was set. Now, hopefully it wouldn't be long.

They had met with the council as well, though that had been a rather futile exercise. They hadn't found out any new information about the tea – the news reports had been repeats of the same information for a couple of days, then stopped altogether as new stories took its place.

But reporting to the council gave Hatter and Alice a reasonable excuse for being back on this side of the glass, so it had been done. And after that, they had been shown to their bedchambers and summoned to breakfast with King Jack and Duchess Charlotte for the next morning.

Alice had initially protested the overnight stay, stating that, as it was such a quick trip back, it would make more sense for them to just go home.

But Jack had been very insistent that they stay the night, and they relented in the end, though they were unsure what his reasons were.

…

Alice was surprised at how quickly she had acclimated to the bedchambers they had been assigned. Unaccustomed to sleeping anywhere but her single bed in her mother's house for over ten years, it had taken her quite a few overnights before she slept truly well in Hatter's flat. But somehow, their bedchamber here in the palace in Wonderland had become, in a way, a bit like home to her.

She quickly pushed that thought out of her head, because she truly did not know what to do with it. It was like she was living two different but simultaneous lives now.

Hatter was lightly snoring on the bed beside her, his arm draped softly around her waist. She relaxed into the warmth of his body, and closed her eyes.

But quickly opened them again, when she heard a familiar meow, coming from the foot of the bed.

"Dinah?" She couldn't feel the cat's weight, but it was curled up on her feet, just like when she was ten. But then she awoke more fully and remembered her last encounter with this creature.

She sat up and faced it. It blinked back at her with green-yellow eyes. "You're a Cheshire," she whispered softly, trying not to wake Hatter up. The cat just continued to stare at her. So Alice, after a moment, trying not to think about the fact that she was talking to a cat, continued. "They tell me that your kind are really rare in Wonderland now, but that you are a part of the old magic." The cat tilted its head to the side, as though pondering her words. "Does that mean the old magic is coming back to Wonderland?"

The cat turned and jumped off the bed, and padded toward the door. And it turned back and looked at her. "Coming?" The sound seemed like an echo, and it felt like it came from behind her, instead of from the cat.

"Do I have a choice?" Alice pushed the covers back slightly and swung her legs off the side of the bed. But when she stood up, the room melted, and she was standing on a narrow ledge, many levels up in the city. She could feel the wind blowing past her, blowing her hair around.. She gasped in fright, once again, and plastered herself to the side of a building. The cat appeared at her feet, and wound itself around her legs before walking onwards. Alice took a deep breath, and, still hugging the buildings, began to follow.

Even in the pale light, the area looked vaguely and unsettlingly familiar. "Where are you taking me?" Alice asked, trying to keep her voice calm. The last time she had followed the Cheshire, it had led her to a door in the tree that had opened to reveal her childhood home. But then, that time she had woken up to find it all to be a dream.

Of course. She was dreaming again. It felt real, but it had to be a dream.

With a little more confidence, she continued to chase the Cheshire, as it lead her past a collapsed building and around a corner.

It was then that she caught sight of a familiar looking set of doors, just up a short flight of metal railed stairs. Large frosted glass panes, with a large white rabbit symbol emblazoned on each.

This is where they had caught her, when she had chased Jack's kidnappers through the looking glass. And it was to these doors that the Cheshire was leading her. It paused at the threshold, waiting for her to catch up, then, as she approached, one door swung open, seemingly on its own.

But it wasn't to the plant-filled halls that they had opened to originally. This time, she stepped through onto the casino floor. There were dancing girls, and roulette and card tables. And standing around them were dazed men and women, with green leafy patterns on their faces and arms, and bare feet.

Alice recoiled. "No!" she yelled. "It was destroyed!" Images flashed through her mind, of that day in the casino: the panic, the shooting, the screaming, the blood. Her dad's blood. She turned and rushed back out the door, but instead of being back outside, she found herself in a very different room.

It was a room full of large metal vats. Men in white scientist smocks were bringing in boxes of glass tubes and machinery, and putting pieces together, trying to build something.

Unsure of exactly what she was seeing, and still horribly shaken from the vision of the casino, she turned to look for the Cheshire.

It was perched on the rim of one of the large metal vats, watching the men on the floor below. And there was no grin to be seen on this Cheshire's face. Rather, its features were pulled back in a wide, sharp-toothed snarl.

And directly below it, written in white paint on the side of the vat, was one word. EXCITEMENT.

…

Alice took a sharp intake of breath. Hatter shifted slightly and wrapped his arms around her waist, without even waking up. Alice was grateful to see she was back in the bed with him, and the Cheshire was nowhere to be seen.

But the dream had badly unsettled her, and she couldn't just go back to sleep. She slowly freed herself from Hatter's arms, and climbed out of bed. There was a window-seat under a large window, through which the half-moon was shining. She sat down, curling her knees to her chest, and gazed out at the endless city before her.

If it was more then a dream, then somewhere out there, there was another casino. Or would soon be.

"Please let it just be a dream," she pleaded softly to the air.

"A dream?" The words were a faint echo that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

Alice clenched her eyes shut.

…

"Alice?" She heard a soft voice behind her, felt a warmth as a body enfolded her, smelled the familiar scent that was all Hatter. She hadn't heard him get out of bed, hadn't heard him approach. But he was there, standing behind her, holding her, comforting her. "You okay, love?"

Alice wrapped her arms around his and squeezed them tighter around her, and took a steadying breath. "Bad dreams," she stated finally.

Hatter moved, sliding around until he was in front of her, but never letting her go. His chocolate eyes were full of concern, and just a little bit of apprehension. "What about?" he asked, his voice soft and soothing.

"Casino," she said softly. "I was there, they were harvesting emotions again."

Hatter wrinkled his forehead. "The casino was destroyed, Alice. They can't do that anymore."

Alice shook her head. "It wasn't the same casino. They were rebuilding the machines. There were scientists. And big metal tubs with emotions painted on them."

She could feel Hatter tense, see apprehension in his eyes. "Jack would never let that happen," he stated, but his voice sounded a little less calm.

Alice looked back out the window. After a moment, she could feel Hatter's hand rubbing circles on her thigh. "Let's go back to bed, Alice. It was just a dream." At least he hoped. But her next words chilled him.

"The Cheshire was really angry." Alice's voice had taken a far away, almost child-like tone.

Shit.

…

**AN: Thanks for reading! Please review! :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: Sorry for the delay. My muse-train got derailed. Trying to get her back on track right now. Hopefully that spells more updates in a timelier fashion.**

**Please read and review. Much love to my reviewers! :):)  
**

"It's not possible." Jack was adamant, but the strain was easily visible in his face. "The casino couldn't simply be rebuilt without anyone knowing about it. It would be too large an undertaking." Jack shook his head. "Besides, you need the ring and the looking glass to run a casino. Do you have any idea how many oysters it takes to make tea?"

"_Fifty oysters were drained of every last drop of hullabalooza so that you, Ratty, can... taste what it's like to win, just once!" _Hatter's words from that first day in the tea shop resounded in Alice's head, and caused her to shudder. She wondered, again, how many thousands of people had been drained of their being to supply all the tea-heads in Wonderland.

She took a steadying breath. "A lot," she said softly, "I know." Her eyes were looking somewhat haunted again, and Hatter reached over and squeezed her hand.

She had been almost inconsolable in the middle of the night, reverting to almost a child-like state. The images of an angry Cheshire and a casino being rebuilt, coupled with the still-raw wound of her father's death at the overthrow of the first casino, were almost more then she could handle. It had taken Hatter half the night, holding her and talking to her, to calm her down and convince her to return to bed.

Bloody Cheshires, Hatter thought darkly. He hadn't told Alice, but after she had finally fallen asleep again, he had received a visit of his own.

There was a long moment of silence, as everyone was, for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Charlotte turned to Alice. "Do you think that this new casino could be related to the tea sales in your world?"

Alice had been thinking that too. Was the new casino connected to that? "I don't know," she replied. Then a horrible thought struck her. What if the new casino was being built to supply her world with emotion teas? And then the most horrifying thought of all. What if it was being built in her world?

Alice fought against the rising panic as she pictured a casino in her world, draining people to feed false emotions to others. In her mind's eye, she could see her city slowly turning into Wonderland's city - crumbling, falling apart. But then just as suddenly, she remembered chasing the Cheshire right up to...

"White Rabbit!" she blurted suddenly.

"What?" Jack looked over at her sharply. Both Duchess and Hatter were staring at her too.

"My dream. The Cheshire took me to the doors with the White Rabbit symbols on it." She looked at Jack. "It's the place they took you, and when I followed you, they caught me."

"The Headquarters?" Jack shook his head. "Alice, I can assure you, there is no casino being built at the Headquarters. I've been there, and fairly recently. Not much there – some offices and storage, and a few holding cells and such. There's no casino."

"Then why..." Alice felt confused and for the first time, she began to doubt her dream. What if it was just a dream? Oh god, she hoped it was just a dream.

But then she looked over at Hatter, and noticed that his eyes had gone very dark, and he seemed lost in his own thoughts. Even his hand, which had been squeezing hers and rubbing comforting circles on it, had stilled.

"Hatter?" She squeezed his hand tentatively.

She heard his breath hitch in his chest. "The White Rabbit!" He looked sharply at Jack. "They're behind this." His voice was almost a growl. "They have testing facilities all over the city."

"They were all shut down by my mother, ages ago," Jack stated. "Making oyster tea was the only thing that mattered anymore, so she took all of their scientists and put them to work in the casino."

"But they still exist. The buildings, the laboratories... the cells?" He barely contained the cold shudder.

Jack took a deep breath. "I won't say that I haven't suspected that the White Rabbit might be involved. But we don't know who's behind it. And what are we supposed to do? Go inspect every piece of property controlled by them, looking for a casino that a Cheshire told us about? They would be on to us long before we could ever find the right place."

Hatter reluctantly conceded that Jack was right. They still needed to find out who was behind everything. Right now, all they had to go on were a few Cheshire dreams, some news broadcasts, and a handful of theories. What they needed was something solid, a break in the case. They needed to find someone who was involved, and find out what they know.

…

What was supposed to be just breakfast stretched well past noon, and another meal was brought for the four. It was early afternoon by the time they finally made their way to the looking glass chamber.

They had found Charlie, striding back and forth before the door to the hall. He had come to attention and saluted them as they passed, before resuming his march as the door closed. Alice had to chuckle when she saw evidence of some of Charlie's inventions scattered about. It looked like he was trying to build some sort of warning system.

It wasn't until they were standing directly in front of the looking glass that Alice noticed a strange look on Hatter's face.

"What is it?" She knit her brow.

"I have to stay here, Alice," he said softly. At her confused look, he added, "just for a few days. There's something I have to look into. It might help... with all of this."

"What?" She didn't like the feeling that Hatter was hiding something from her. She glanced over at Jack, only to realize that he didn't know anything about this either.

"Just... trust me Alice." Hatter looked into her eyes.

"Hatter!" Alice could feel the rise of frustration. "What's going on? Tell me!"

Hatter sighed slightly. She wasn't going to like what he was going to say. "I have a plan," he said slowly. When she waited for more, he finally admitted, "I'm going to see if I can find the Cheshires," he admitted finally. "I need to go to the Forest of Wabe."

Alice stared at him incredulously. "That's your plan?"

"Yeah." There was a long pause. "The Cheshires are our best lead right now, but all they're doing is giving us all bad dreams..."

"Not me," Duchess said softly, then added, "But that's not an invitation." She spoke the last part to the air, a little superstitiously.

"... so I need to find them, to find out what they know."

Jack looked over at him, concerned. "You're planning on going out into the woods by yourself, to find creatures that might not even exist outside of dreams?"

"How do you know where they are?" Alice demanded. "Or if they'll even talk to you?"

Hatter shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "But my great-uncle was one of the last people to talk to a Cheshire in person. They say that he was friends with it." Then he added under his breath, "Hope that counts for something."

Alice just wanted to go back to her world, to continue whatever type of investigation she could from there. She was thinking of talking to the couple of cops who were fellow blackbelts at the dojo and see what they could tell her, if anything. It wouldn't necessarily be much, but it might open a bit of a lead on her end, and it sounded far more sane then Hatter's idea.

But... "I'm coming with you," she stated, determinedly.

"No." Hatter's voice was firm. Alice bristled, waiting for the "it's too dangerous" that she expected to follow. But this time it didn't.

"Hatter, I'm coming with you!"

Hatter shook his head. "Alice, I have to go by myself."

"Why?" Alice tried to keep the edge out of her voice.

"You aren't the only one's been dreaming of Cheshires, yeah?" Hatter looked at her meaningfully. "I think they'll talk to me. I hope they'll talk to me. Alone."

Alice opened her mouth, but shut it again without saying anything. Jack was extremely surprised when, instead of an argument or tirade, she finally said a soft, "Okay."

She reached up and wrapped her arms around Hatter's neck and pulled him into a crushing hug. He returned her embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. She put her head right up to his ear and whispered, "I trust you."

It sounded like a crazy plan. It sounded like something that would keep her up for days worrying about him. But Alice ultimately realized one thing. She trusted Hatter... completely. And if he said he had to go alone, she had to let him go alone.

Hatter took a deep breath, and buried his face into her shoulder. "I love you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. Then he breathed out, "Thank you," before he broke the embrace and pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss.

After a long moment, Jack cleared his throat, then again before they pulled apart entirely.

"Right then." Hatter tried to put on his best back-to-business voice, but it took a moment before he could collect himself enough to be actually back to business. "I'll leave this afternoon. I'll see if Charlie will let me take Guinevere." He smiled slightly at that – he had been longing to take another ride on that mare since they had been back. "It should hopefully only take me a few days, then I can be back, and Jack, we can adjust the glass to send me back to today." He turned to Alice. "I should be back through within an hour or two. Yeah?"

It sounded like the perfect plan. Hopefully it would work out that way.

…

Alice sat, leaning up against the concrete wall, staring at the gaudy mirror that marked the portal in the old warehouse, and trying not to worry. It had been nearly four hours since she had come through, and still there was no sign of Hatter. Afternoon had stretched into evening. She desperately hoped that she wouldn't have to spend the night there.

At eight o clock, her cell phone rang. She immediately whipped it out, but groaned when she realized that it was her mom, and not Hatter. Carol had immediately picked up on her daughter's worry, and asked what was wrong, but Alice just brushed it off and told her she would talk to her later. Then she swallowed around the lump in her throat and pulled herself off of the floor.

She walked up the looking glass, and glared at it for a long moment, as if willing it to spew out Hatter. But the glass remained unmoved. She reached out her hand and tentatively touched the surface of the glass. It didn't budge. The portal was closed.

Finally letting her concern get the better of her, she slammed her fist, hard, onto the surface of the glass. "Where are you?" she yelled. Then she winced at the resulting sting in her wrist from the impact.

She turned and walked back to her post and slid down the wall, back to a seated position, determined to remain there until Hatter came home.

She was slipping in and out of an uncomfortable sleep when she heard a slight hum, followed by a bit of a clatter, and some cursing in a familiar accent. Her eyes flew open, and in the dim light, she observed a hatted figure picking himself up off the floor.

"Hatter!" She scrambled to her feet and threw herself at him, nearly knocking him to the floor again. He groaned loudly and staggered back a step or two. "Easy... Alice... OW!"

Alice stopped abruptly, before grabbing Hatter by his shirt and pulling him into the light of a streetlamp shining through a small window.

Hatter winced when he saw the look of shock cross her face.

She could see that he had a black eye, and several other bruises and small cuts on his face, and she had no doubt from his reaction to her embrace that the bruises continued down the rest of his body.

"What happened?" she demanded.


	27. Chapter 27

"Just a few cuts and bruises," Hatter protested, as she started to unbutton his shirt.

Alice huffed at him as she observed his mottled torso. Yes, she had seen it look worse, but the fact that he was once again sporting such injuries concerned her greatly. The fact that he still hadn't told her what had happened concerned her more.

Kneeling down beside him, she ran her hand lightly over his ribcage, and he reached over and grabbed it, squirming slightly. "Tickles," he murmured. He looked like he was ready to fall asleep.

"What happened?" Alice asked for at least the fifth time since he had stumbled through the looking glass. "Tell me."

Hatter groaned. "Where to start?" he mumbled.

"Well, how about the fact that you were almost six hours late coming back. I thought they were going to send you back to about an hour or two after I left."

"Sorry 'bout that, love," he said softly. "We aren't so good with the time thing as the scientist was." He smiled apologetically at her

"What happened to the scientist?"

Hatter shook his head

Alice's brows knit together. "Okay, you need to start from the beginning," she demanded. Then she paused, changing her mind. "No, first you need to tell me that everyone is okay, and then you need to start at the beginning."

Hatter's eyes flitted away from hers. "Is a long story, Alice. Could it wait til morning?"

"Hatter, what happened?" Alice was almost yelling now.

…

Hatter clicked his tongue at Guinevere, and the mare willingly changed her gait to a loping trot. Free from the narrow streets and impossible drops, it was now safe to pick up some speed. Hatter loved the feel of the air by the lake, the movement of the horse beneath him, the smell of leather and the smell of Guinevere. The soft clomping sound of hooves in the dirt.

But he missed the feel of small but strong arms circling his waist, the defiant voice that asked too many questions, the sound of badly-warbled "hey nonny nonny". This time, he was alone. And he wished that Alice and Charlie could be there with him.

Guinevere seemed to sense his mood, and whickered and snorted at him. He patted her neck. "Just you and me, girl," he said softly, and urged her into a run for a bit. The Forest of Wabe was still a few hours away – he would likely camp just outside of it for the night and start the search for the Cheshires in the morning.

He slept a little fitfully, in spite of Charlie's assurances that his horses were trained to guard. They were trained to wake their masters at the slightest sense of danger. Regardless, every sound that emanated from the forest caused him to stir, and he awoke at dawn feeling horribly unrested. But the Cheshires had not visited him in his dreams. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Ready to go find some Cheshires?" Hatter spoke softly to Guinevere as he saddled her. The horse tossed her head and snorted in response. "Good girl." He patted her neck and swung himself up into the saddle.

"Now if only I had the slightest clue where to find them," he muttered to himself.

In response, Guinevere pulled to the left.

…

"What?"

Jack jerked, almost violently, at the news.

Nine of Clubs looked terrified. "I'm s..s..sorry, sir. He must have left some time in the night. He's dis... disappeared."

"Oh this isn't good." Jack pressed a hand to his forehead, the pressure in his temples warning him that another headache was coming..

Charlotte lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll find him," she whispered.

"We have to," Jack agreed. "Otherwise..." He trailed off. He didn't need to say more.

…

He had fought her at first. But somehow the horse seemed to know where she was going, and seemed to be able to find trails where he could not. So after a few times of trying to guide her, Hatter finally just gave Guinevere the slack and kept a watchful eye and ear on his surroundings.

He figured that she might just lead him back to the Kingdom, which would be a good place for a home base. He could go from there to search for Cheshires. But somehow, he felt that if they were anywhere, they would probably be near the Kingdom. Wonderland was mostly devoid of magic now, but if anything of old Wonderland existed anywhere, it existed there. He had felt it.

The sun was dipping toward the trees, and Hatter was feeling very sore and stiff from being in a saddle all day, when they broke free of thick forest and into a clearing.

Hatter immediately tugged on the reins, bringing Guinevere to a sudden halt. Over, near the opposite treeline, and hidden mostly in shadows, was the figure of a man. Hatter tensed, uncertain. Who would be out here, in the middle of nowhere.

"Who are you?" he finally called out.

The man did not reply, and if anything seemed to fade even further into the treeline. Hatter cautiously urged Guinevere forward again, and she complied, seeming completely at ease. It helped to calm Hatter a little that his horse did not see him as a threat.

"Who are you?" he called again as he got closer. He still could not see the man clearly.

But the words that floated back to him across the clearing nearly stopped his heart. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

He recognized the voice, from when he was a very small child, recognized the words. But it wasn't possible. It wasn't possible at all.

"Uncle Madigan?" He slid from the saddle, and his stiff legs almost gave out from under him, leaving him to lean heavily on the horse for a moment before he was able to urge them forward again.

The man stepped forward, finally freeing himself of the treeline. His eccentric purple and blue clothing made Hatter's choices look tame, and he wore a tall but battered top hat. Hatter remembered the man towering over him as a child, and was almost startled to realize they were close to the same height. Which really wasn't that tall at all.

"I remember that hat." The visage of Uncle Madigan swooped forward and snatched the brown pork pie off of Hatter's head. Hatter was too slow to grab it back.

Uncle Madigan flipped it a few times through agile fingers, and threw it in a couple of impossible twirls before flinging it back toward Hatter. It landed squarely back on Hatter's head, and Hatter clutched at it in relief.

"I made it for your father."

Hatter nodded, still not trusting his eyes. "I found it," he managed, "after my father was taken." He still remembered the day it had been found, tucked away in a small box at the back of the closet. March had called it Hatter's lucky hat. Hatter winced slightly at the memory.

"He only wore it once or twice." Madigan sounded almost mournful.

"I wear it almost every day," Hatter returned. Then he shook his head, as though remembering. "Hang on. How am I even talking to you? You died years ago."

Madigan looked a little surprised. "I did?"

Hatter's brow scrunched. "Yeah. I was little."

Madigan pulled at a gold chain in his purple vest, and finally a round disk appeared. He looked at it for a long moment. "Clockwork's not ticking properly," he said softly.

Then he looked at Hatter, only his eyes had changed from brown to green-yellow, and a wide toothy grin split his face. Then he disappeared.

And standing before him, where his great-uncle had just been, was a shaggy brown tabby, grinning at him. And now he could see several matching grins shining at him from the darkness of the trees.

He had found the Cheshires.

…

**AN: So he has found the Cheshires. Now what? Stay tuned!**

**...**

**Sorry for the delay in updating... will try to get them up faster. My muse is being rebellious and playing with Primeval. I fully intend to keep on with my Alice stories though, so please keep reading and reviewing (I love reviews – they keep my muse inspired).**

**(BTW, for any interested, I do have my first Primeval fic up – it's called Saying Goodbye and it is about Connor and Tom S01E04 – if you're interested). Okay, shameless pitch there, but I couldn't help myself.**


	28. Chapter 28

Lord Devillius kept the gun trained on the miserable creature before him, a ferocious look in his eyes. "You will tell me everything that you know," he roared at him.

The informant looked frightened enough to wet himself, but tried to look defiant. "That kind of information will cost you," he squeaked out.

Dodo heaved a sigh, and pulled a vial out of his coat pocket. He held it just out of reach.

A half an hour later, and tea-sated, the informant stumbled out the door. Dodo and his gun were already long gone.

…

For a long moment, Hatter stared at the animal before him. It was the same tabby cat that he had seen both in the scarab and later in his and Alice's bedroom, and he assumed that it was the same one that had appeared to both Alice and Jack. Perhaps he was the leader of the... clan? Hatter had been rather shocked when he had seen at least seven of the grinning felines.

He had believed, like so many others, that the Cheshires, like the old magic, had simply disappeared from Wonderland. To actually be facing not one but seven of them was both amazing and alarming.

The Cheshire appeared to be waiting for him to say something first. So as the silence dragged on, he finally said, "You wanted me to come. Why?"

The Cheshire blinked at him, and licked his paw, and said nothing. Hatter sighed. It seemed that these... creatures only answered when he asked the right question. This could take a while.

"What do you want from us?" He was met with more silence, as the cat continued to groom. Hatter huffed a bit in frustration. "You've been trying to tell us something. The dreams, they are pieces of a puzzle," he stated.

The Cheshire was looking intently at him now, and he heard an echoed whisper through the trees. "Puzzles."

"What are you trying to tell us?" Please let that be the right question, he pleaded silently. When he was once again ignored and met with silence, he started to lose his temper.

"How am I supposed to find out what you want me to find out if you won't talk to me? You used to talk to Uncle Madigan. He said that you were friends." He took a deep breath, before continuing, his voice far softer. "I didn't think you even existed anymore. I didn't think there was any magic left. Uncle Madigan used to talk about a time when everything was madness and chaos and magic." His voice had taken on a strange tone, and he felt a wave of longing flood him. He had lived and breathed Uncle Madigan's story as a youngster. But Hatter's Wonderland had been so dark, so broken.

The Cheshire was watching him closely now, a grin coming across his face. The other Cheshires were drawing closer, appearing from the treeline and approaching him. Hatter felt nervous, unsure of what to expect, but he didn't move his eyes from the tabby before him.

"Does the old magic still exist?" Hatter's voice was almost a whisper now. "Is there a way to fix Wonderland?" He hated the childishly hopeful tone that infused his voice. "Will you help us?"

"Us?" The echo was loud this time, and seemed to come from everywhere at once. The Cheshire's toothy grin began to look sharper, more dangerous. Hatter took a step backward, and nearly tripped over one of the cats that was directly behind him.

The Cheshire pressed forward, forcing Hatter to step over the Cheshire behind him and continue a retreat. "What is it?" he asked, fighting the nervousness in his voice. Temperamental beasts. He wasn't sure what he had said wrong, but the Cheshire wasn't looking so friendly.

He stumbled and fell to the ground, and the Cheshire walked up onto his chest. Hatter could feel the sting of sharp nails through his shirt. The Cheshire brought his face within inches of Hatter's and spoke directly. "You left!"

Hatter's brow knit as he stared back at the Cheshire, surprised that it mattered. "I went to be with Alice," he agreed. "I went to her world. I love her."

The Cheshire jumped off his chest and walked a few steps away before turning back to stare at him, silent again. Hatter pulled himself up into a sitting position, and stared back, feeling rather confused. "Alice saved Wonderland. She overthrew the Queen and destroyed the casino. And Caterpillar told me that if I didn't go to her world, she wouldn't come and then it wouldn't have happened..." His voice trailed off. Somehow he was aware that the Cheshire already knew this.

He was starting to feel lost again, not sure what he was supposed to be saying, not sure what the Cheshire wanted to hear. He mentally went over, in his mind, everything that Jack and Alice had told him about the Cheshires and their dreams. His own dreams had been rather... well, rather like this conversation had been so far. Confusing and relatively one-sided.

"Wonderland needs you." He was sure that it was the Cheshire that had just said it, but it came out in Hatter's own voice.

"So does Alice's world!" he returned. He felt himself tensing, alarm starting to build. Were the Cheshires going to make him stay here? They couldn't make him do that, could they? He fought to steady himself. "The emotion teas. They're being sold in Alice's world. We're trying to stop them, stop who's responsible."

The Cheshire let out a hiss, and the others backed away, hissing as well.

"_The Cheshire was really angry." _Hatter remembered the fear in Alice's voice. Her dream...

"A casino," Hatter said. "You showed Alice a casino." He looked at the Cheshire. "The White Rabbit, they're building another casino, aren't they?" A growl and bared teeth told him that he was on the right path. "Where is it? And who's behind it? Let us know so we can stop them." The last bit came out almost pleading.

"Stop them!" The words echoed around the clearing.

Hatter let out a huff of frustration. "Show me how!" he demanded.

The Cheshire grinned. And the ground beneath Hatter abruptly disappeared and he found himself falling.

…

Jack's mind screamed for a drop of Peace, but he knew that it was all gone. And he knew that he didn't really want it anyway. He wanted the real thing.

But instead of becoming more peaceful, since he had taken his throne, things had seemed to go from bad to worse. For every step taken forward there seemed to be several more taken back. And now Lord Devillius had disappeared, apparently gone back underground. A new Resistance was the last thing his reign needed.

Charlotte watched Jack from a distance, wishing she could do something, anything to help him. She had immediately sent Ten out with a group of suits to search for Dodo, but without knowing where to start looking, the search was unlikely to turn up results.

Jack leaned heavily on the windowsill and stared out at the city stretched before, above and below him, and willed himself to stay strong.

…

Hatter landed hard, and strained his eyes to look around. It was night now, and the city was dark, but as his eyes adjusted, he knew exactly where he was. The marquis was broken, and the building looked far worse for wear, but he was on the bridge outside the Tea Shop. And sitting on the porch, only its eyes and grin visible in the dim light, was the Cheshire.

Hatter apprehensively picked his way up to the Tea Shop door. It swung inward without so much as a push from him. The selling floor was dark, abandoned and in shambles, but as he looked toward his old office door, he could see a crack of light coming from beneath it. He spared a glance over at the Cheshire, who just blinked at him. Then he strode across the selling floor and pushed open his office door.

And he froze. There was someone sitting in a chair at his desk, but the faint light did nothing to illuminate who it was. The man's face was completely in shadow. And the man seemed completely unaware of Hatter's presence - instead he was speaking to a tall thin man in a white scientist's coat, though Hatter could not make out what was being said. Then the scientist claimed a bottle, half full of deep red tea, and turned toward the door. As the light briefly illuminated his face, Hatter's eyes narrowed in recognition. It was the same man who had interupted the awkward goodbye between Alice and Hatter. The scientist who operated the looking glass!

Warn Jack! Warn Charlie! Hatter's mind screamed silently at him. He turned to rush out, and almost crashed into a small, scampering figure that was now coming through the doorway behind him.

An all too familiar scampering figure. A figure dressed in an oversized suit and wringing his hands as he came.

Hatter couldn't make out what words were exchanged, but the shadow at the desk muttered and waved his hands about in exasperation, then finally drew a small bottle of pink tea from within his jacket, and slid it across the desk. Dormie snatched it up and raced back out the door, the look on his face alternating between elation and kicked puppy.

The Cheshire merely grinned.

…

**AN: Gah! I really fought with this chapter, and I apologize for the wait. **

**Cheshires can be surprisingly elusive. Hope you like! Please read and review! (Keep my muse happy). Much love to my regular reviewers!**


	29. Chapter 29

Hatter came awake sharply when Guinevere butted him with her head. He was lying on his back, in the clearing, Guinevere standing protectively over him. The sun was just starting to glimmer through the trees. There was not a Cheshire to be seen, anywhere.

Had it all been a dream then? He cursed as he picked himself up off the hard ground, his muscles complaining at him. He flipped his hat back onto his head and started dusting the dirt and grass off of his clothes.

Which is when he saw it. Two distinct cat-paw prints in light dust on the front of his shirt. So it hadn't been a dream. Well, at very least, not all of it. He remembered the Cheshire, inches from his face, accusing him of leaving. He felt a twinge of anxiety, wondering what, if anything, would come of that.

But he quickly redirected his mind. He needed to focus. He had come, looking for answers about the casino and the tea-sales in Alice's world, and he had been given a few leads. He needed to get back to the city.

With one last glance around the clearing, he swung himself up onto Guinevere's back and urged her forward. Once again, she seemed to instinctively know what needed to be done. She moved swiftly through the trees, finding paths that he knew he could not. And once they were free of the forest, Guinevere broke into a fast gallop. At first, Hatter clung to her, fearful of falling, but after a moment or two, he felt how steady the rhythm of her footfalls were, and adjusted his body to the beat, and found that he was, in fact, remarkably safe.

More then once on the long ride back, Hatter cursed the Cheshires for not letting him wake in the city. Even at Guinevere's pace, there was no way he would make it back to the city before nightfall, and it was far too dangerous to try to navigate the narrow ledges and bridges in the dark with a horse – even one as remarkable as Guinevere.

The city loomed over them, tall and expansive, in the dying light of the evening, as Hatter drew Guinevere to a halt. Initially he contemplated leaving the horse to find her own way back (Charlie had told him that the horses were trained, and would go home if they became separated from their rider), and entering the city on foot.

But as he swung out of the saddle, he found that his legs would barely support him, and he had to cling to the side of the saddle to keep from toppling over. He wasn't used to long days spent riding, and every muscle voiced its complaint. Reluctantly, he decided to camp for the night, and enter the city at first light in the morning.

…

He came awake, very suddenly, in the middle of the night, to sharp pains radiating through his chest. His eyes flew open to see the eyes of the Cheshire, mere inches away from his. The cat's claws were firmly imbedded in his skin.

"Oi!" he yelped and tried to push the Cheshire off, unsuccessfully. It merely tightened its grasp on his skin, glaring into his eyes. It looked... agitated.

Hatter felt a cold ball of dread hit his stomach. Something was wrong.

"Get to the palace!"

The voices that echoed around him bordered on screams. He knew it was the Cheshires, but it sounded like Jack and Duchess and Charlie. And Alice.

Then he found himself in a free-fall once again, as the ground seemingly disappeared from beneath him.

He landed on his back with a hard thump, on a painfully firm floor, knocking the wind right out of him. He cursed the Cheshires once again as he struggled to draw a breath.

He was in a palace hallway, and at first, he wondered if this was yet another dream. But as he pulled himself up, he heard a frightened-sounding gasp – almost a whimper – and he turned to find a very alarmed looking Nine of Clubs, flattened against the wall, staring at him as though he had seen a ghost.

And perhaps he had. He had just seen the Hatter suddenly appear, in free-fall, from the ceiling.

Probably not a dream then. In his dreams, the people he was seeing were never seeing him.

He started toward Nine, who pressed himself further back against the wall. "What's happening?" he demanded.

Nine's eyes just got bigger, and with a yelp, he turned and ran down the hallway and disappeared.

Hatter started to go after him, but stopped suddenly, listening. Seemingly from all around him, he heard faint yelling, and the sounds of fighting and muffled gunfire. The palace was under attack.

…

Dormie scuttled down a narrow walk, wringing his hands wildly, and fearfully trying to ignore what he had just done. In his hand, he clutched his reward – a half-bottle of Courage. He would need it.

It hadn't taken much. A few words whispered in the right ears. News like that, naturally, spreads like wildfire – even if it wasn't true. At least, it probably wasn't true. Maybe it was.

The city was already a powder keg. The remaining reserves of tea were swiftly depleting, and few could afford the ridiculously high prices of what remained. Tea-heads were being forced into an unwilling drying out. Negative emotions and paranoia were rampant.

"They're stockpiling Tea at the palace. They're sending it to the Oyster world."

The rioting had begun within hours. By the middle of the night, the rioters had turned into a murderous mob.

Dormie leaned against the wall and tried to control his shaking hands, as he opened the bottle and poured its contents down his throat. "I'm sorry Hatter," he said quietly, sorrowfully. Then, as his tremors stopped, he ran to follow the mob.

…

Jack stood in the Looking Glass hall, staring at his reflection in the silent portal. He had been standing before it in this exact manner for over an hour. He could see Sir Charles behind him, watching, but remaining blessedly silent for once.

He found himself longing for the other side, for the oyster world. It had been so easy over there. So alive, so... real.

"The city is rioting," Ten had reported, upon his return from the fruitless search for Lord Devillius. "They're demanding tea."

Extra guards had been ordered at the bridge, and an emergency council meeting called, but there was nothing more that could truly be done. They lacked the military power to go into the city and quash the rebellion.

That had been hours ago. And there had been no word since.

Jack felt an arm slip around his waist, a warm body press up against his back. He smiled slightly, and took Charlotte's hand in his. He could see the concern on her face, reflected back at him in the surface of the looking glass.

"What are you doing Jack?" Her voice was soft and a little sad.

He shook his head. "Just thinking." He took a deep breath. "Will Wonderland ever be right again?"

A sad smile played across Charlotte's face as she walked around Jack to face him. "Maybe," she whispered. "It'll take time."

Jack nodded and allowed Charlotte to lead him toward the door. Sir Charles bowed to them as they exited the room, before resuming a clanking march back and forth across the entrance.

…

The palace was eerily quiet, with such an air of tension that Jack could hardly bear it. It was the calm before the storm, only no one quite knew when the storm would hit or what it would entail. Now he paced, back and forth across the floor of the throne room, unable to rest, unable to sleep, barely able to hold onto the ends of his fraying nerves.

He walked over to the window, and looked out again at the city. He could see fires burning in a few places, illuminating the buildings with a smoky orange glow. He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath, but it caught in his chest as another image flickered across his mind. The image of his dead mother leading a mob to overthrow him.

"Just a dream," Jack mumbled to himself. "Just a dream." Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he forced his eyes open again, and looked down toward the bridge.

And for a moment, Jack wondered if he was dreaming again. He was certain he could see movement in the buildings across the bridge, the flicker of torches.

Then suddenly a shot rang out, and then another.

It wasn't a dream. The storm was here.

…

**AN: Ack! Sorry for how long it took to update. I have been fighting with this chapter for days (well, weeks even). I've had really bad writers block.**

**Hope you like this chapter, and thanks so much to all who reviewed (especially my regular reviewers). Thanks also to my new readers... hope you are liking the story so far.**

**Please review (it makes my day)! As always, constructive criticism is more then welcome! Cheers!**


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: Sorry, know it has been a really long wait. Hope the chapter is worth it. I struggle with action sequences a bit. Thanks for all the reviews to date! Without further ado, here's the next chapter.**

He had been powerful once. His face had conjured nearly as much fear as the queen's. And he and his men had controlled the majority of the tea sales in the city. Yes, the queen had owned the tea shops, but he had largely kept charge of them.

He had been the queen's most trusted, but her trust meant nothing more to him then the power it had granted. The power was what mattered; it was all that mattered.

His power had become greatly diminished the day the queen had given the order. "Off with his head!" He had bought his life back from King Winston, for the price of information, but he had been forced into an underground existence. Underground, but not impotent. He still had pull and sway with his men. He still had eyes and ears all over Wonderland. And he had just been waiting for the right opportunity to regain his former power.

Especially once the queen was gone, deposed, beheaded by her own son, a far weaker monarch. Especially as emotion tea began to run out, without the casino and the oysters to fuel it. The people of Wonderland were starting to wake up, starting to realize the misery of their existence.

He would rebuild the casino. He would control the tea, and through the tea, control the masses. He wasn't a card, he wouldn't be a monarch. But he would be the most powerful man in all of Wonderland once again.

And Wonderland seemed to conspire with him. As luck would have it, one of the last oysters harvested before the fall of the casino had been a drug-dealer from the other side. After he had been liberated, he had been asking around, trying to acquire some of the emotion teas to sell to oysters on the other side. He had caused a great deal of upset, among the other oysters and among the king's loyalists.

But some of his inquiries fell onto opportune ears. And word had gotten through.

Supplies would be required, would need to be brought from the oyster world, to rebuild the casino. And so an arrangement had been born. The dealer would get his tea, in exchange for the supplies needed. The scientist who ran the looking glass had not been hard to bribe and threaten to their cause.

The casino would be ready, soon enough. Only a few vital pieces remained to be brought. And he needed to oversee those acquisitions himself.

He watched the bridge from his vantage, three levels up, and his lips twitched and curled into a smirk of satisfaction. The mob was far larger then even he could have planned for, but that would just make his job so much easier. Once the bridge was breached, in the chaos that would ensue, he and his men would slip through unnoticed. And even if they were noticed, there would not be the available manpower to stop them.

…

"Sire!"

The Ten of Clubs appeared very suddenly at Jack's side. Jack had been staring, rather blankly, out the window at the ensuing battle on the bridge, and had startled when Ten had spoken.

"Sire, we need to move you. This room has too many points of entry to guard you effectively." Ten's face was creased with concern.

Jack swallowed hard, trying desperately to hide his own apprehensions behind his well practiced regality, but he knew he was failing. He simply nodded, and followed Ten's hurrying footsteps down the hall, toward his bedchambers.

As the door opened, a blur flew at him, blonde hair and red clothing. Charlotte looked terrified. She had been told that the palace was under attack, and was hurried from her rooms to Jack's by a pair of suits, and left. The door had locked swiftly behind her, and she had been left, not knowing what was gong on, or whether Jack was safe.

Jack wrapped his arm comfortingly around her, his own anxiety dissipating slightly at her touch, at his need to comfort her. She was usually incredibly strong. To see her so alarmed woke something up in Jack, and at the moment, all he wanted to do was protect her. Ten nodded at the two of them, promising to update them soon, before pulling the door shut behind himself as he hurried away.

…

"They've made it past the bridge."

Ten cringed outwardly at the news. He knew that the guard would not be able to hold them off a mob that size indefinitely, but he had hoped that perhaps they could have held a bit longer, given him time to come up with a plan.

He didn't haveLady Alice or the Hatter's ingenuity, their ability to think on their feet. He desperately wished for either of them, and wondered if Hatter had any luck finding the Cheshires, or if he was on his way back.

Ten realized that the suits around him were waiting for word. "Guard the king and Duchess," he commanded. "Prepare a scarab in case we need to evacuate them and the council."

His thoughts turned to the looking glass, housed two levels up. There wasn't enough manpower to guard it without spreading their resources too thinly. Thankfully the stone was hidden far away from the glass. The glass would be powered down – they never left it active anymore.

But the mob – they wouldn't know. And Sir Charles...

He turned sharply and started up the stairs, two at a time. The least he could do was warn Sir Charles.

…

He had called in all his favors.

Having run an arm of the Resistance for as long as he had, that had amounted to a small army.

Lord Devillius watched, mirthlessly, as the guard at the bridge was overwhelmed by the people of Wonderland. He knew that the king's guard did not have the numbers to defeat a mob so large. There would be no stopping them now.

But he wasn't trying to stop the mob. He had another objective. Reach the looking glass.

…

Hatter cursed himself that he wasn't armed. There had been a time that he would not have gone anywhere without his bullet-proof vest and at least two hidden firearms. But in Alice's world, that wasn't generally recommended, or allowed. Not if you didn't want to be considered a criminal.

He had quickly discerned what was happening. He had stumbled across several dead and even more wounded people – a few in card-motif suits, but far more in the muted street-clothes of common Wonderlanders. Something had happened to make the people of Wonderland attack. And the shadowy man he had seen in his tea shop was probably behind it, though he didn't know to what end... yet.

He needed to find Jack.

He paused a moment when he saw a glint of metal in the hands of a downed suit. He grasped the gun and checked it for ammunition. There were two rounds left. He pocketed the weapon, and continued forward, hugging the walls.

The sounds of fighting were all around him now, and he could see strange shadows on the walls. He knew once he rounded the corner, he would be in the thick of it. He wrapped his left hand around the gun in his pocket, and clenched his right into a fist, ready to strike if needed.

Then he swallowed hard and stepped into the fray.

…

He wasn't a coward anymore.

He had waged war against the casino with a few crossbows and an army of skeletons.

He had helped JustAlice of Legend and the Harbinger defeat the queen.

He was a hero of Wonderland.

He was a real knight now. Sir Charles.

The affirmations did little to quell the horrible clanking of his armor as he trembled, standing alone in the passageway, listening to the sounds of fighting drawing ever closer.

What he wouldn't do for a few of his comrades-in-arms right now. Even if they were merely the skeletal remains. Something about standing with them that day at the casino had made him feel not so alone. Even if he had been the only one able to fire a shot.

…

Hatter, surprisingly, was able to make it quite a ways, just by ducking and avoiding, before the first time he was hit. It wasn't a bullet or a knife, but it was very solid and hit hard into the back of his ribs, throwing him off balance and up against a wall. He turned, and delivered a sound right hook into the man's chest, knocking him on his back. He barely managed to avoid the next punch thrown at him, and ended up tripping over someone's leg and crashing into a suit.

The suit turned on him instantly, not realizing that he was not part of the mob. The suit rained down a couple of blows, with his fist, before hitting Hatter in the face with the butt of his gun.

Hatter dropped to the ground, unable to see, dizzying blackness threatening him. Thankfully another mobster had taken his place in the fight, so no more abuse came his way courtesy the suit. Hatter crawled back toward the wall, his head and vision still swimming.

Get up! His mind was screaming at him. He pulled himself to his feet, and pushed along the wall, trying to escape the crush of the crowd. He was nearly free when something caught his eye.

Or rather, someone.

A very small someone, caught in the fray, and virtually running in circles, wringing his hands.

"Dormie!" The sight of his once-business partner brought the scene that the Cheshire had shown him rushing back to the forefront of his mind.

He pushed through the crowd, and grabbed the small man by the front of his oversized suit jacket. He dragged him a few steps and slammed him against the opposite wall.

Dormie let out a terrified squeal, and threw his hands up over his face. Then he peeked out, and gave another squeaky cry, this time of relief. "Hatter!" But then his eyes grew alarmed again, at the ferocity and anger that he saw blazing in the other man's eyes.

Something hit Hatter's back forcefully, causing him to jolt forward. He momentarily lost his grip on Dormie, who immediately tried to run. He turned and delivered a blow to his attacker, before capturing Dormie by the collar of his coat. This time he broke free of the crowd before throwing the small man against the wall again.

Dormie whimpered.

"Who are you working for?" Hatter snarled at the cowering man.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dormie tried, a bit feebly.

Hatter tightened his grip and thrust him against the wall again. Dormie cried out, terror plain in his face. "Who?" Hatter demanded again.

Dormie was distraught, trembling and whimpering at Hatter's rough treatment. He hadn't had a choice. With the tea shop shut down and Hatter gone to the other world, he had been left on his own, to his own devices. "Both sides," he squeaked out finally.

"Both sides of what?"

Dormie suddenly blanched. "Behind you, Hatter!" he shrieked. Hatter turned, and as he did, he felt and heard something whiz by his ear, narrowly missing him. Dormie wasn't so lucky. Pinned against the wall, he was held at just the right height to take the bullet that Hatter had barely dodged.

Hatter thought he saw a familiar face, a familiar gun, quickly disappear in the crowd. He had been shot by him once before.

But his attention was quickly drawn again, by the feel of something warm and wet running over his hand. Dormie was slumped and twitching, blood spurting from the juncture of his neck and shoulder.

Hatter lowered him to the floor, horror and nausea gripping his stomach. Dormie opened his eyes, his face and body still twitching helplessly. "I'm sorry Hatter," he whimpered.

Hatter didn't notice that the fighting had overtaken his position again. He knelt over Dormie's dead body, feeling numb. He had been one of Hatter's few friends, his partner in the tea shop, his partner in the Resistance. And he had just saved Hatter's life, only to take the bullet himself.

The sound of gunfire, far too close to his ear, finally woke Hatter once again.

He fought his way out of the crowd, and raced down a side hallway. He needed to re-orient himself. And then he needed to find Jack.

**AN: So, what'd you think? Please review! I love reviews, they make my day. I will try to get the chapters up a little faster... things have kinda calmed down in my life again.**

**As always, constructive criticism is very welcome! Cheers!**


	31. Chapter 31

Hatter was using up every ounce of patience that Alice possessed, and she wasn't a patient person at best. After appearing through the looking glass, hours late and looking like hell, he had refused to even start telling her the story until they were back at his flat and he had made a cup of tea. And then, true to her demand to start at the beginning, he had done just that, and seemed to be dragging parts of the story much longer then needed. And he was completely avoiding her questions regarding his injuries and whether or not everyone else was alright.

She had grown increasingly alarmed when he started telling her about the attack on the palace (although that explained a lot of his injuries), and had again asked him to tell her that everyone else was okay, but he had continued the story as though he hadn't heard her.

It was already the middle of the night, and they were both obviously exhausted, but Alice was not going to let him get away with not telling her. She would get the answers she wanted from him if it took all night. And at this rate, it looked like it might.

Hatter paused for a long moment after he told her about Dormie's death. He didn't mention Dodo – knowing that would only upset Alice more. He did mention how Dormie had saved his life by yelling the warning, and how, being pinned to the wall, Dormie had no chance of avoiding the bullet that had been meant for Hatter.

Alice could see the pain in his eyes, the guilt, the brightness of tears that he wouldn't let himself shed, and it nearly broke her heart. She slid closer to him, and took him in her arms. He stayed rigid for a moment before melting into her. He took a couple of slow, steadying breaths.

He pulled away, and faced her, looking mournful. "Can we please call it a night, Alice?" he pleaded. He didn't want to face the worst of the story, and ultimately her reaction to it, until he had spent the night in her arms and slept.

Alice frowned. "Hatter, just tell me that everyone else is okay, please!"

Hatter turned his face away from her, his body shaking slightly. The alarm that Alice had been feeling all night blossomed into full-blown fear.

"Hatter!" She cupped her hand under his chin and turned him to face her. "Tell me everyone is okay."

The agony was clear in his eyes now. "I can't," he whispered.

…

There were ten guns, and all of them were pointed at him. Hatter had never felt his lack of body armor so acutely. And he hoped that none of them had an itchy trigger finger.

Once he had calmed himself and gotten his bearings, Hatter had found Jack's chambers fairly quickly. And he had been shocked, even horrified to note that there were only ten suits guarding the king. If the mob came this way, they would be overwhelmed in a heartbeat.

But standing alone in front of them, the only target for ten weapons, even Hatter felt intimidated.

With a slightly exasperated sigh, Hatter raised his hands, palms forward, showing the suits his lack of weapons. But instead of having the desired effect of defusing the situation, the suits became only more wary.

Too late, Hatter realized that his hands and the sleeves of his shirt were still covered in Dormie's blood.

He heard a gun being cocked, and he took a step backward. "I'm Hatter," he protested. "I'm on your side. I need to talk to Jack!" A second gun cocked. Dammit.

He backed away another step, then did the only thing he could think of. He started yelling Jack's name as loudly as he could, and hoped that the king would hear him.

…

Where the bloody hell was Ten?

Jack couldn't sit still any more, and started pacing back and forth again. This time, Charlotte didn't try to soothe him. They could both hear the fighting – it was still at a distance, but it seemed to be getting louder.

Charlotte closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was not a coward or a weak woman. She had taken plenty of life-threatening risks under the rule of the queen, even going so far as to save Jack from what would have been his execution. And she had known that there would be even more danger once Jack took the throne, she just hadn't expected a coup quite so quickly.

Jack had barely been king for two months, not long enough to start fixing a very broken world. And he had spent most of that being bullied by the council and therefore unable to do much. That had changed when Alice and Hatter had come back. And she had hoped, finally, that change could come to Wonderland.

But now, they were potentially facing the end of that as well. And what would that mean for her and Jack?

Jack caught himself once again wishing that he was still in the oyster world. He cursed himself for it. It was his weakness, his fantasy. And it haunted him, coming unbidden to his mind every time he faced hardship.

You're the king. You need to be strong, he chided himself. But another voice inside him asked, How much longer do you think you'll be king? As if in answer, the sounds of fighting grew even louder.

"Jack!"

The cry was muffled, and at first he wasn't certain he had heard it. But then it came again, more insistently. "Jack! Jack!"

He looked over at Charlotte, then they both looked toward the door.

"Jack!"

Someone was definitely calling him. Jack strode to his chamber door and pulled it open.

…

Hatter had never been more relieved to see Jack.

…

Jack had never been more relieved to see Hatter.

Surprised, definitely, but relieved. Even if Hatter did look like a massacre on legs. For a moment, he just stood and stared at the man in front of him.

"Oi, Jack! Call your bloody men off before one of 'em shoots me!" Hatter's voice cut through Jack's thoughts.

"Come inside, quickly," Jack said, motioning to Hatter. His suits reluctantly lowered their weapons, as Hatter quickly complied, glaring darkly at them as he passed.

Jack firmly shut the door behind them, and turned. Hatter was standing in the middle of the room, his arms and hands blood-soaked, his face swollen and cut. Charlotte was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the man with horror-filled eyes.

Jack cringed, but motioned Hatter to a white plush chair across from the bed. He could always burn it later. Hatter gratefully dropped into it, and took a long deep breath.

"What's going on out there?" Jack demanded.

Hatter looked up and met the king's eyes. "It's bad Jack."

…

The sounds of fighting followed him as he rushed down the hallway. The sound like advancing armies. Ten had no doubt now that they were headed for the looking glass. But he would get there first. He would warn Sir Charles, and hopefully get them both to safety.

He skidded slightly on the polished floors as he rounded the corner, and the door came into view. Sir Charles was there, looking around in every direction, and clinging tightly to his sword. His terror was evident, but Ten admired the man for not abandoning his post.

"A real knight after all," he mused, surprised when he realized he had said it out loud.

…

**AN: I know it is a bit of a teaser chapter, and ends rather abruptly. This and the next chapter were initially slated to be one single chapter, but it worked better for me to get the "setting up" parts out of the way. Much more action to come... stay tuned. Please review. And thanks for being so patient.**


	32. Chapter 32

**AN: So, thank goodness I broke this into two chapters, b/c as it is, this ones a doozy (and long!). Hope it works - it does jump around a bit. Please let me know if anything doesn't make sense.**

** I actually didn't make you wait for this one. :) Please read and review. Much love!**

**...**

Hatter was grateful when Duchess brought him a basin of water, and one of Jack's shirts. He eagerly scrubbed at the blood that coated his hands, as though trying to erase what had happened. He knew he needed to focus, and there would be time to agonize later.

"It's a large mob, and your suits are not holding up well against them," he told Jack. "But that isn't your only problem."

Jack's eyes widened, and he ran his hands once again through his uncharacteristically ruffled hair. He didn't know how things could possibly get much worse.

"Dodo is here too. I saw him, back when I was fighting my way through the mob. He... I think he tried to shoot me. He hit Dormie." Hatter swallowed hard again, a lump rising in his throat. Later, he told himself again. "That's why I was covered in blood."

Jack's eyes flared with anger. "So Lord Devillius is behind this, then?"

Hatter shook his head. "I don't know. Dormie said that he was working for both sides. I can only assume that means that he was still working for Dodo, the way he did back when we were both with the Resistance. But there was someone else. Someone who was paying him with tea, but I don't know who that is or what Dormie was doing for him."

Jack sank back onto the edge of the bed, feeling completely defeated. All of Wonderland seemed to be conspiring against him, and he was running out of options and out of allies. "What should I do?" He hated how feeble his voice came out.

Hatter was silent for a moment, trying to come up with a plan. Really, he only saw one option.

"If the fight comes here, ten guards are not going to be able to stop them. We need to get you and Duchess out of here. You need to go through the looking glass, find Alice, and stay there until it is safe." Hatter breathed out a sigh. "Take the ring with you."

…

"A real knight after all."

Charlie's head turned sharply at the sound of another voice, and his face lit up to see the Ten of Clubs striding toward him. Nothing had felt more terrifying then being completely alone. Though far from being his comrades-in-arms, having Ten there reassured him.

"Sir Ten!"

Ten smirked slightly. "Please, Sir Charles. It's just Ten, or Zak if you will." Then his face grew deathly serious again.

Charlie noticed the shift. "The battle?"

Ten took a deep breath. "Not going well, Sir Charles. There is a very large army heading for the looking glass. They won't get through – the ring is hidden. But you need to hide... we need to hide. We can't stand alone against that many."

"Hide?" Charlie's voice sounded indignant. "I'm a knight, I can't hide."

"Sir Charles, you are of far more use to us alive. We've already lost a lot of men." Ten looked pleadingly at the White Knight. And he saw Charlie's facade start to fail.

"How long until they are here?"

"Not long."

"Follow me! Come on!" And with that, Charlie turned and rushed into the looking glass room. Ten hesitated, then rushed after him.

…

"Is the camera monitor in this room?"

Jack turned from his preparations and pointed at a small alcove. Hatter left Jack and Duchess to get ready, and rushed over to the screen. He smirked faintly as he remembered the games he and Alice had played with it. Now, as it hummed to life, it revealed the Looking Glass Hall. Hatter breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was still empty. He knew that they wouldn't have much time, but the escape route was still potentially viable.

Then movement caught his eye, flashes of black and white, near the edge of the one feed. He squinted at the screen, his brow knit. Then he realized what he was seeing. Charlie was there, and so was the Ten of Clubs. And they were both racing around, working on some sort of contraption that Charlie had in the corner of the room. The camera angle wasn't right to see what it was, but Hatter almost laughed when he realized what they were doing. "Brilliant, Charlie!" he said, out loud.

Jack reappeared behind him. "What are they doing?" he asked, staring at the screen.

Hatter turned toward Jack. "Setting traps," he stated. "Hope they work." He looked Jack over. He looked very much like he had the day that Hatter had first met him – dark purplish-gray suit, every hair back in place. "Do you have the ring?"

Jack placed his hand over his heart, indicating the pocket.

"Good."

But Jack paused, looking concerned. "How are you going to be able to get word to us that things are safe if you don't have the stone to operate the looking glass?"

Hatter paused. He actually hadn't thought of that. His only thought had been to get the ring safely away. "I'll... think of something," he said finally. "All that matters right now is that it doesn't fall in the wrong hands."

Duchess appeared behind Jack, dressed loosely in a pair of Jack's trousers and a button-down that was entirely too big for her, but was undone enough to show off some of her ample cleavage. Hatter didn't think the woman knew how to do not-sexy.

Now was not the time. "Let's go then. We have to hurry."

But Duchess froze, her eyes going wide. She stared past Hatter at the monitor. "It's too late," she whispered.

…

Ten barely had time to recognize that the noises he was hearing were not coming from Charlie or his contraption, before the door burst open. He simply reacted, grabbing Charlie and dragging him behind the machine, and slapping a hand over his mouth to keep him from crying out.

They were not completely hidden – if someone was looking, they would see them, but thankfully the intruders seemed intent simply on getting to the looking glass.

Charlie recovered rather quickly from Ten's tackle, and mercifully stayed quiet. He even managed to shift position without his armor clanking, a feat that Ten had not believed was even possible. Charlie was now crouched behind Ten, peering over his shoulder at the flood of... suits? He knew the suits couldn't be trusted.

Ten watched as thirty or more men in spade-motif entered the room. Some were carrying boxes, others simply had their weapons drawn as though expecting an attack. Ten had been expecting the mob, not the White Rabbit.

Then his eyes grew wide, and he shrank back further as a familiar and unmistakeable figure entered the room. A figure that should have been dead.

…

Hatter jumped back from the monitor, letting loose a string of curses.

Even without seeing the man's face, it was obvious who it was. White suit, black walking stick. Silver hair falling down his back in two tails.

"Can't be," Hatter heard Jack mutter behind him. "He was executed for losing the ring."

"Apparently not!" Hatter cursed again. Of anyone that could have been behind the tea fiasco, this was the worst scenario Hatter could imagine.

…

Agent White waited until the last of his men had entered the hall, and the door was shut and barred. Then he nodded to the thin scientist who accompanied him, and the scientist stepped forward to the console, carrying a small metal box in his hands, and began attaching the device to the controls of the looking glass.

It was a battery of sorts. Every time the looking glass had been used, and then ordered drained of residual power, he had drained it into the device, storing it so that the looking glass could be operated for a time without the ring. He had saved enough energy to send Agent White and his men on a return trip to the oyster world, and he had been repaid in kind, with much tea and promises of a position in the new casino.

But still, his nerves almost got the better of him as he struggled to connect the wires. It was taking far longer then it had before.

…

Ten saw Agent White motion to some of his men, and they began picking up the boxes and moving them toward the looking glass. He could feel Charlie leaning up against him, wiggling eagerly like an excited child, as the men came closer and closer to the trip wire. Ten felt a bit of apprehension, knowing that once the trap was sprung, they would likely be exposed, and only having a sword and a single gun between the two of them.

One of the suits stumbled slightly as his foot caught the strings. Ten and Charlie braced themselves, but instead of the trap being sprung, the string simply came loose.

"Curses," Charlie whispered, glaring at the offending switch that hadn't tripped. Then, before Ten could stop him, he moved across and yanked on the wooden lever.

The movement caught Agent White's eyes, and he turned and looked over in surprise at the two half-hidden men. Then he hopped back, unscathed, as the net dropped suddenly from the ceiling and fell instead onto four of his men.

Even Ten had to admit that Charlie's net was quite ingenious. The harder the men struggled, the more tangled they became, in what had looked simply to be a loosely woven mesh. Agent White watched for a moment, then turned his gaze back at Ten. His lips twitched upwards in a smug smirk, as several of his suits turned toward their hiding spot, guns drawn.

Ten pulled his gun, and moved so that the contraption was at least partially shielding him, but the shots never came. At least, the shots never came in his direction.

…

The door splintered as the Resistance fighters fought their way through. For housing the most valuable piece of kit in Wonderland, the doors of the looking glass hall were not very strong or very solid.

Lord Devillius stormed in on the heels of his fighters, guns blazing. The White Rabbit were caught off guard for a moment, but quickly returned fire.

Dodo watched as Agent White backed toward the looking glass, even as his suits rushed forward to counter the Resistance fighters. He fired his gun once, but there was no clear shot. At least not at Agent White.

His eyes fell on the scientist, still struggling at the console, his hands shaking as he worked to get the looking glass active. Dodo raised his gun again.

The scientist attached the final wire and entered the code to activate. The looking glass hummed to life and rippled ever so slightly. He turned from the console to look for Agent White – just in time to take Dodo's bullet square in the forehead.

...

Hatter watched the monitor in horror, as the door to the looking glass hall splintered, and another small army stormed through. In the ensuing chaos, somehow the camera above the doorway dislodged and fell. Although the image was sideways, he thought he could see Charlie and Ten, trying to hide behind some sort of machine made of wood and rope. And they were both looking frantic.

Then the feed went black.

Hatter wheeled away from the monitor. Jack and Duchess were still staring at the remaining live feed, the view of the battle from atop the looking glass itself.

"You two stay here," he ordered. "If the mob comes this way, get the hell out. But I don't think they will."

Jack looked sharply at him. "Where are you going?" he demanded.

Hatter took a deep breath. "I need to help Charlie."

…

Hatter ran as fast as he could toward the worst of the fighting, when everything in him, every survival instinct was telling him to run away from it. And at one time, he would have listened. At one time he would have opted to save his own skin rather then risk everything for a friend. But he wasn't that person any more. He had ceased to be that person the day he had met Alice.

He needed to reach Charlie. He needed to get Charlie and Ten out of there. And then he needed to do whatever he could to save Wonderland.

…

Jack looked at Charlotte and then back at the monitor. He shook his head.

"I can't just wait here," he said finally.

Charlotte nodded. "I'm coming with you."

...

Charlie watched, with confusion and some fear, at the chaos going on around him. First it had been the suits, then the Resistance. And now, a few regular Wonderlanders, part of the mob no doubt, had joined in the fray. Everything was a mess of gunfire and fighting and noise and yelling. He and Ten were pressed back against the wall, trying to keep as much of his invention between themselves and the fighting as possible.

Then he saw her. A petite blonde woman, with tea-crazed eyes, running about in the fray armed only with a broken bottle. She had her sights set on a box of tea, and was fighting her way through the crowd to reach it.

Charlie watched in horror as an eight of spades raised his gun.

_They were nearing the bridge that would take them to the palace when a loud cry broke out in the crowd, and a woman with long blonde hair rushed forward, her eyes half crazed, a broken bottle in her hand. She dashed at the knight, yelling something about tea._

_A loud shot erupted, causing Lancelot to rear slightly, almost unseating Charlie, who struggled for a long moment to not fall off. When he managed to right himself, he looked down at the fallen woman, at the growing halo of red around her head._

_He turned in horror, seeing the gun still in the hand of a Four of Spades._

_"You... you... you... you killed her!" he stammered, horror evident on his face._

_"She was going to attack you," he countered, entirely too casually._

With a loud cry, Charlie left his hiding spot and rushed at the woman, throwing himself between her and the suit's gun. With a loud smash, she brought her bottle down on the back of his armor, shattering the glass into pieces.

Startled, Charlie turned toward her, and half-away from the suit, exposing the one vulnerability in his armor – the point where his chainmail ended in the arm-hole of his armor.

And the eight of spades had deadly aim.

…

Hatter was surprised to find the passageway to the looking glass hall almost completely clear. There were a few straggling fighters, but the chaos seemed to be largely confined to the hall itself.

He approached the broken door cautiously, hearing the sound of gunfire and fighting on the other side. He used the doorframe to shield himself from any stray bullets, as he scanned the room.

He could see Agent White, standing back, near the looking glass. And to the left of the crowd, he saw Dodo, punching a White Rabbit suit in the face before pulling his gun and shooting the man. Hatter cringed and looked away, scanning the crowd again. He saw Ten, still over by the contraption, but where was Charlie? The White Knight ought to have been easy to pick out in the crowd, but it took him a moment to locate his friend.

And when he saw him, his blood froze. Charlie was rushing headlong into the middle of the fray, running right in front of a suit's gun. And then the gun went off.

Everything seemed to slow, nearly stop, as Hatter watched in horror. Charlie staggered as the bullet hit him. His face twisted in pain and he dropped to his knees, then collapsed altogether.

"CHARLIE!" Hatter could barely recognize his own voice as it ripped from his lungs. Recklessly, he charged forward. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ten rushing forward as well.

Then he was nearly knocked off his feet as something akin to a shockwave hit the room.

When he regained himself, Hatter noticed the room had fallen silent – silent of any battle sounds. Everyone stood as though frozen. But then another sound filled the room. An angry yowling and hissing. The Cheshire materialized on top of the looking glass, only three or four times his previous size. And the other Cheshires appeared around the room, hissing angrily as well.

…

It was hard for anyone to say exactly what happened next. It was something that had never happened before, in any known Wonderland history.

The looking glass began to shiver, and the surface began to darken and swirl. Agent White was now backing away from the looking glass, uncertain and more than a little terrified.

Then the looking glass erupted. The vortex that connected the worlds shot out of the glass, only looking very dark and chaotic.

Hatter only just managed to leap to the side as it shot past him. In the hall, Jack skidded to a stop and Duchess crashed into him as the vortex erupted through the doorway.

Then just as quickly, it retreated back into the glass, and the looking glass again became clear, humming lightly.

Agent White and the boxes of tea were gone, along with a handful of his suits. In like manner, Dodo was missing, along with many of his fighters.

The White Knight lay on the floor, alone spared by the vortex.

…

Hatter barely heard Jack demanding to know what happened, and a voice, sounding suspiciously like... Caterpillar? responding that the looking glass had banished them to the other world. He barely heard orders, barked out by the king to the leaderless suits and fighters, to quell the mob and secure the palace.

After Charlie had survived the fall into the lake and the subsequent swim to shore with his armor on, and waged a largely single-handed battle with the suits and walking away virtually unscathed, Hatter had begun to believe that Charlie was invincible.

The man who lay on the ground before him, looking ghostly pale, blood pooled around him and spattered across his armor, looked anything but.

Hatter dropped to his knees beside his friend, tears threatening to fall. "Charlie," he croaked out around the lump in his throat.

Charlie opened his faded blue eyes. "Hatter." His voice was low and rasping.

Hatter gave a mournful chuckle. "Don't you mean Harbinger?" Charlie had never used his real name.

Charlie chuckled slightly, though it came out sounding painful. "You... you are the paladin now." He smiled weakly at Hatter.

The tears started to fall – Hatter couldn't hold them back. Wouldn't hold them back. "No, Charlie. You hang in there. Wonderland needs you. Alice needs you." I need you, he added silently, suddenly all too aware of how much Charlie's friendship meant to him.

"Look after JustAlice for me." Charlie smiled again, slightly, then his eyes fluttered closed.

...

The Cheshires were yowling and hissing again. Hatter felt the sting of claws in his back, and heard a voice as it echoed around him. "Fix it!"

…

**AN: I know, I'm evil. Please don't hurt me... *runs and hides***

**I'm going to make it up to you, I promise. Really!  
**

**Please review!**


	33. Chapter 33

"Hatter!" She cupped her hand under his chin, turning him to face her again. "Tell me everyone's okay." He could feel her hand shaking slightly under his chin.

She could see the agony, clear and unmasked, in his eyes now. He seemed to choke on his words, a barely audible whisper. "I can't."

"Who?" she demanded. Hatter looked down, but she took his chin a little more forcefully this time, and turned him to look at her again. And suddenly she knew, without him saying a word, and her whole body started to tremble.

Hatter had become fiercely loyal to Jack, something Alice never would have predicted judging by the first time the two had met. Hatter equated his loyalty to Jack with his love for Wonderland. And that loyalty extended to Charlotte as well. She had no doubt that he would put himself at risk to save either.

But the look in his eyes told her one thing. The person that was not okay was not someone Hatter was simply loyal to. It was someone that Hatter cared deeply for. Which could only mean...

"Oh my god, Charlie!" She took a deep gasp of breath, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Hatter winced, his eyes burning.

"How bad is he hurt?" Alice was looking at him desperately now, her fingers digging painfully into his arm.

The lump in Hatter's throat had grown so large that for a moment he couldn't speak, could barely breathe. He swallowed hard, then again, then again before he could manage it. Tears were blurring his eyes, ready to fall.

"Alice, he's... he's not hurt." His voice sounded broken. "Charlie... he's..."

"NO!" It erupted from Alice's chest in a shriek.

…

There were cracks radiating from his fist across the cold marble floor. He hadn't even realized he had punched the floor. He didn't know how long he had been there, leaning over Charlie's body in anguish.

It seemed that everyone he ever cared for shared the same fate. His mother. March. The men who had saved him from the White Rabbit. Dormie.

… Charlie.

He was cursed. Everyone he ever cared for was doomed to die.

His body turned to ice. Alice. What if the curse took Alice too? He could suddenly picture her, lying on the floor in her own blood the way that Charlie now was.

He gave an unearthly yowl and struck the floor again. More cracks radiated from him, and somewhere deep in the floor, a beam cracked with a sharp report.

He didn't notice Ten approaching him, cautiously. He barely felt the strong arms that helped him up and lead him away.

…

"No! No, no, no, no!" Alice was screaming, pounding his chest with her fists. It hurt... god, did it hurt. His body was battered and bruised, and she was not hitting lightly. But right now he welcomed the pain. It drew his attention away from the ache in his heart.

Finally, Alice dissolved into tears, sobbing against him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight, his own tears streaming down his face again.

…

When his senses started to return, he found that he was on an overstuffed couch in a gaudy waiting room. At first it was so quiet he thought he was alone, but when he looked up, he saw that there was someone sitting in a chair across from him.

"Jack?" His voice scraped out.

Jack stared at the utter destruction of his friend, his heart aching. And just as quickly was surprised to realize that he truly called Hatter a friend. There had been a lot of water under the bridge since their first meeting, where Jack wouldn't even deign to look at him. Hatter had somehow always been there for him, back in Alice's world and especially now in the last couple of weeks. Hatter was, in many ways, a far better and braver man then he had ever been.

"Hatter." Jack looked at him with concerned eyes. He didn't know what to say. This man had just lost his best friend, and in the process it seemed, lost himself.

But he didn't need to say anything. After another long moment of silence, Hatter started to talk. At first he seemed to be babbling, his thoughts all jumbled and broken, but eventually Jack was able to make out what Hatter was saying.

"... cursed. I'm cursed. Wonderland has taken everyone away from me." Hatter dissolved into bitter tears. "Alice. What if Wonderland takes Alice too? I have to protect her. Protect her from the curse."

Jack studied the man in front of him for a long moment. He wasn't entirely sure that Hatter was even aware of what he was saying, or if he had simply gone a touch mad from loss.

But he found himself replying anyway. "Hatter, you are not cursed." Jack paused. "At least, not any more than the rest of us."

Hatter quieted, but didn't look convinced.

Jack swallowed hard. "You aren't the only person that Wonderland has taken everything from. Charlotte, she lost both of her parents and her brother. She was taken from anyone who ever cared for her and forced to live in the palace, being watched all the time, and made to spy on me." He paused, realizing that this is the first time he had truly considered everything that his love had lost, and the heartache that she must still be living with. "I lost my father. He was the one person who truly cared for me all my life. And I had to kill my mother. Charlotte is the only person I have ever loved and not lost."

Hatter was truly listening now, his mind slowly piecing back together, though his heart was still broken.

Jack felt a tear running down his own face now. He almost reached up to hastily brush it away, to hide the cracks in his demeanor, but he forced his hand back down. It was time to show a little vulnerability. The man in front of him certainly was.

"It's Wonderland that is cursed. Wonderland is a broken place, Hatter. We have to try to fix it, so that the people who will come after us won't have to suffer the way we have. So that Wonderland won't take from them what it took from us." He leaned forward, and looked directly into Hatter's eyes. "Help me fix it. Please."

Hatter took a long deep breath and wiped his hands over his eyes. The Cheshire's words... "fix it!" rang in his ears, and he felt his resolve, that inner strength he had always seemed to have, starting to return. He nodded his head slightly.

"I need some time," he stated. "I need to go be with Alice."

Jack nodded. "Of course," he said. But then his eyes grew troubled again. "Hatter, the looking glass..."

Hatter felt a rise of panic. Was the looking glass broken? He remembered the blast, the spinning vortex coming out of the mirror.

"... sent Agent White and Lord Devillius to Alice's world," Jack finished. He was surprised to hear Hatter let out a sigh of relief.

"We'll need to come up with a plan, then." Hatter just sounded tired.

…

"How did it happen?" Alice's head was still rested against his chest, his shirt wet from her tears.

"I don't know what Charlie was doing," Hatter admitted. "But the fighting... it was the worst in the looking glass hall." He looked down at Alice's tear-stained face. "Agent White, the White Rabbit. They're behind the tea sales here. They were trying to get through the looking glass, with a lot more tea. And the Resistance was there too, fighting them. It was chaos." He could still see the monitor, see Charlie and Ten hiding in the corner. Why had Charlie moved? What had made him run into the fray? "I got there just as Charlie was shot."

If only he had gotten there sooner. If only the bloody suits had let him in to see Jack faster. If only he hadn't waited to run down to the looking glass. If only he had been a minute faster. If only... if only...

Alice had started crying again. He tightened his arms around her and fell silent. He didn't need to tell her about the Cheshires, about the looking glass banishing Agent White and Dodo to their world. There was still a couple of days before that would happen. He would tell her in the morning.

…

_Charlie staggered as the bullet hit him. His face twisted in pain and he dropped to his knees, then collapsed altogether. _

"_CHARLIE!" The scream ripped out of him. Recklessly, he charged forward, but he felt like he was running through molasses._

_Then he noticed it. There was a bright, golden light coming from Charlie. It pulsed and radiated, as though it was alive. Then it contracted into a small ball of energy, before exploding. The golden shockwave nearly knocked him off his feet._

_Then the Cheshires appeared. He could see them, balls of bright, pulsing white light. He felt confused, and turned and looked around the room. Everyone seemed frozen, and most of the people were dark. But in a few, Hatter could see a faint glimmer of golden light. And the looking glass was glowing white, like the Cheshires, pulsing and radiating._

_It was then that he realized what he was seeing. Somehow his eyes had changed, and he was seeing the magic that still existed in Wonderland. The Cheshires, the looking glass – their magic was powerful. There were still a few people with a bit of Wonderland magic in them, though most now had none at all._

_And another piece of Wonderland magic had just been destroyed. Charlie's golden glow was dim now, dissipating, as he lay dying on the floor._

_Hatter reached toward Charlie, crawling across the floor. He placed his hands on Charlie's chest, trying to hold Charlie's light there, but it slipped through his fingers, and vanished._

_He buried his face in his hands, in agony. But as he did, he noticed another warm golden glow. It shone and pulsed. He opened his eyes, and looked down at Charlie. But the light was not coming from Charlie. It was coming from him._

…

_People were fighting all around her, dying all around her. Suits with white rabbit pins and spade motifs, and people in drab brown clothing. She felt very alarmed, but when she tried to flee, she found that her feet were stuck to the floor._

_She could see the looking glass, rippling slightly. Fallen against the console was the thin scientist, his blood pooling over the controls, a bullet hole in his forehead. Agent White was edging toward the looking glass, a few of his men lugging boxes, while the others fought to keep the fighters away._

_Then she saw a young, blonde tea-head. She was staggering through the crowd, a broken glass bottle in her hand. She wasn't focused on the fighting, only on the wooden box on the floor in front of her. She didn't even notice one of the suits aiming his gun._

_Then Alice tried to scream a warning, tried desperately to move, as she saw Charlie break through the crowd, but she was stuck and her voice wouldn't work. Charlie threw himself between the girl and the gun._

_The tea-head, seeing him as a threat rather then her savior, brought the bottle down on the back of Charlie's armor, and it shattered. Then Alice saw Charlie turn – turn to look at the girl. And the suit's gun went off._

_Everything seemed to suddenly move in slow motion. Charlie's face twisted, and he collapsed to the floor. Then she heard someone scream Charlie's name, and she realized that it was not her, but Hatter. She saw him rushing, frantically, across the room._

_Everyone staggered, as a blast of energy exploded through the room. Alice didn't feel it – it passed right through her, hitting everyone else. The fighting ceased instantly._

_Then the Cheshires appeared, everywhere, yowling and hissing. Alice frantically tried to move her feet again, but was once again unable. She screamed and cursed, but no sound came._

_As Alice watched, helpless to do anything else, the looking glass exploded, the vortex devouring suits and fighters alike. Unable to move, she found herself in the center of it, as its dark colors swirled chaotically around her._

_Then, just as suddenly, the vortex was gone, back into the glass. Hatter was on his knees, leaning over Charlie. She saw Charlie's eyes fluttering, his mouth moving, but she couldn't hear what was being said. She cried and fought against whatever power was holding her immobile._

_The Cheshire reappeared, this time on Hatter's back, its claws digging deeply into Hatter's skin. But its head was turned. It wasn't looking at Hatter. It wasn't looking at Charlie. It was looking at her, and it was angry._

"_Fix it!" the Cheshire demanded, its voice an echoing hiss._

…

Hatter woke up to a jolt, nearly falling off the couch. For a moment he blinked hazily, then he noticed that Alice was not curled up beside him anymore. The panic started to set in almost immediately, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down when he noticed a crack of light under the bathroom door.

After a moment, he sank back onto the couch. He knew he had overreacted, but everything was still just so raw for him. He groaned slightly as his body complained at him. He was sore, even more so then the day before, and his eyes felt gritty, like they were full of sand. He longed to just sleep away until his body and his spirit recovered. But that wasn't going to happen.

He eased himself off the couch again, and started toward the kitchen to make some tea.

But he froze when he saw Alice emerge from the bathroom. She was fully dressed: t-shirt, jeans, a jacket and runners. But it was the look on her face that set alarm bells off in Hatter's head.

Her lips were set in a thin line, and her eyes bore a look of fierce determination. He had seen that same look on her face before – when she had been hell-bent on going to the casino to rescue Jack.

"Alice?" Hatter's voice was full of apprehension. "What are you doing?"

Alice took a deep breath, and set her jaw stubbornly. "I'm going to save Charlie."

…

**AN: See, I didn't leave you hanging for too long. :) I'm not entirely evil.**

**Please review... constructive criticism welcome as well. More twists and turns to come. Stay tuned! :)**


	34. Chapter 34

"What?" Hatter's voice was a high-pitched squeak.

Alice groaned inwardly, seeing the alarm on his face. She had planned to slip off before he woke up, then have the looking glass send her back before he realized where she had gone. She should have known it would never be that easy.

"Look, it's our fault that Charlie dies. If we hadn't come up with that plan, he'd still be safe in the Kingdom of the Knights."

She moved to step around Hatter but he effectively blocked her path.

"Alice..."

"I can't just let him die, Hatter."

"You can't change it."

"Yes, I can! It hasn't happened yet." And if I get there in time, it won't happen at all, she added silently.

"What are you going to do?" Hatter sounded almost a little frantic.

Alice successfully sidestepped him this time, and rushed past. "Well, I don't know. But I'll think of something."

"It's too dangerous." When was he going to learn not to use that line with her? He saw her jaw set even more stubbornly, but she still wouldn't look at him as she pulled the door open.

"I'll be careful. I'm a black belt, remember." As if that was enough to make her bulletproof.

Hatter cursed and struggled to put his shoes and jacket on quickly. Alice was already down the stairs and out the front door, and he had to run to catch up. She could move fast when she wanted to.

"Alice, stop!" He grabbed her by the arm and spun her to face him. "It really is dangerous. It wasn't just a few suits. It was a battle. Dozens of people, maybe even hundreds. I was lucky to escape alive, and I probably wouldn't have if the Cheshires hadn't stopped things by banishing Agent White and Dodo here." He winced, realizing that he hadn't told Alice that part yet.

But she simply fixated on a single name. "Dodo! So, he's involved in all this too?"

"Yes!" It came out as an exasperated burst. "He's the one who shot Dormie." Hatter faltered, cursing himself.

Alice was furious now. "You mean, he's the one who tried to shoot you... again!"

Hatter deflated slightly. "Yeah," he admitted.

Alice's face was contorted with rage now. "Bastard. I'll make him pay if it's the last thing I do." She turned and stormed even faster toward the warehouse, making Hatter have to jog to keep up with her.

"Alice, if you go after Dodo, it probably will be the last thing you do." Hatter was panicking now. "Please, Alice. Let me and Jack deal with Dodo." He reached for her again. "Please."

Alice drew a deep breath, trying to regain her control. She knew it would be dangerous and stupid to go after Dodo alone. She knew that he wouldn't hesitate to kill her or Hatter. "Okay, I'll avoid Dodo," she acquiesced. "But I still have to go save Charlie."

"Alice..."

"Hatter, stop trying to stop me!" She was truly angry now.

"Alice, you don't understand..."

Alice spun to face him. Her eyes were blazing but he could see the deep-rooted pain in them, and the bright shine of tears. "No, Hatter, you don't understand. I lost my dad because Wonderland took him away from me. I am not about to lose Charlie, not if I can do something about it." She turned quickly before the tears had a chance to make it out of her eyes.

She had taken several steps before she realized Hatter hadn't moved. She heard a pained, exasperated sound from behind her, and turned to look. He was standing there, his eyes burning, tears threatening to spill down his face. "You think I don't understand, Alice?" His voice was full of anger and pain and something else. "Wonderland has taken everyone... everyone, Alice! Everyone I have ever cared about is dead. Everyone except you."

All the fight left her in an instant, and she rushed back and threw her arms around his waist. He pulled her tightly to him, and buried his face in her shoulder. He took a ragged breath and whispered, "I can't lose you too, Alice. I couldn't take it."

"You won't lose me, Hatter." Alice squeezed him tighter, before pulling back. This time she didn't avoid his eyes. "But I have to save Charlie. I'll be careful, I promise."

Hatter followed her silently now, but silently hoped and pleaded that the looking glass would be closed. It wasn't that he didn't want her to save Charlie's life, bring him back from the dead. He wanted that, so desperately. But he knew that Wonderland rarely worked that way, and Alice was far more likely to get herself killed then to save Charlie's life. And if he lost Alice, he knew he wouldn't survive. His mind had started spiraling toward madness when Charlie died, but Jack had been able to call him back. He knew if anything happened to Alice, nothing would be able to save him.

Then they were there, standing in front of the gilded frame. Alice was trembling slightly as she approached the looking glass, and tentatively reached her hand out.

It met with a solid, impenetrable barrier. She pushed her hand against the unyielding glass, then hit it with her fist. "No!" she howled in frustration and agony. The looking glass wasn't powered up. It wasn't a doorway, just a mirror.

Hatter could not suppress the sigh of relief that escaped, in spite of the hollow pain in his chest at the finality of Charlie's fate.

Alice slumped to her knees in front of the looking glass. Her dream from the night before flooded her mind – the image of Charlie dead on the floor. Hatter kneeling over him, crying. The angry Cheshire, claws in Hatter's back, demanding that she fix it.

"How?" she yelled at the looking glass. "How am I supposed to fix it?" She hit the looking glass again, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Hatter was at her side in a second. "Alice?"

Alice leaned into Hatter. "My dream, last night. Charlie was dead, and you were there on the floor, and the Cheshire was on your back, hissing at me to fix it." She turned back and hit the glass again.  
"How am I supposed to fix it if I can't get through?" she yelled at it.

Hatter was staring at her in shock. "You... you saw that? The Cheshire... the Cheshire was telling you to fix it?" He could still feel the nails digging into his back, hear the echoing voice.

Alice met Hatter's eyes with a shocked look of her own. "It really happened that way? Charlie trying to save a girl from a suit, and the looking glass swallowing the fighters..."

Hatter nodded, still trying to wrap his head around what she had just told him.

But he didn't get the chance. Alice pulled herself back to her feet and started banging her fist on the surface of the looking glass again and yelling, "Cheshire! Cheshire!"

…

The looking glass shivered suddenly to life. Alice's fist met with no resistance, and with a surprised scream, she pitched forward into the swirling vortex and disappeared.

Hatter threw himself toward the looking glass, but met only a hard glass surface. The looking glass wouldn't be a doorway for him, couldn't let him through without creating a paradox. He was already in Wonderland.

...

**AN: Sorry, I know I struggle with dialogue, and this chapter is almost entirely dialogue, so please forgive me if it is a bit jarring at places (again, constructive criticism always welcome).**

**Okay, and allow me a shameless pitch. The time-bending aspect of the looking glass was established in my first story _How He Left_ (and since – unless otherwise mentioned – all of my Wonderland stories are tied together in the same universe, the same general rules apply now). It is the precursor to this story - it deals with how Hatter left Wonderland. If you haven't read that one yet, it is the story I like best of any I have written for FF yet. Check it out, let me know what you think. Shameless pitch over. ;)  
**

**And, let me know what you think of this chapter, and if anything doesn't make sense, please let me know so I can fix it. **

**Thanks to all my fantastic wonderful readers and reviewers... much love. Please review. It makes my day! :)**

…


	35. Chapter 35

**AN: Sorry, I know this chapter was a long time coming. Thanks to everyone who has been reading this now-very-long story, and a special thanks and Christmas Hatters to those who have been reviewing. You all rock!**

**...**

His sanity was deserting him. He had been, admittedly rather frantically, trying to find his way to the throne room, trying to find his way to his brother, the Ten of Clubs.

He was not the bravest of men, and fighting had never been his strong point. In fact, fighting had never been a point with him whatsoever. He was a Club, not a Spade, and he had served in the court since early adulthood. It had never come up.

Until now. Twice, he had been forced to change his path due to the fighting that seemed to be swiftly encompassing the entire floor of the palace, and if it continued to spread, he would need to find a place to hide.

Nine was scurrying down yet another hallway, trying to find an elevator that would take him up one floor, when the last thing he ever expected happened.

A man materialized, very suddenly, directly above him, and Nine had to swiftly jump out of the way to avoid his gravity-dictated fall to the floor.

He pressed himself against the wall, and his eyes jumped swiftly back and forth from the ceiling – as if expecting more people to suddenly appear – to the man who was picking himself up off the floor in front of him.

He recognized the figure now. The strange, eclectic clothing, the signature pork pie hat. But the fact that Hatter had appeared out of nowhere left him so completely baffled that when Hatter tried to approach him, he panicked, yelped and ran.

Only to be flattened into the floor, mere moments later, by another figure crashing down from the ceiling.

…

Alice plummeted through the swirling colors, feeling like she was falling far faster then ever before. This time she reminded herself to breathe, and managed one large gasp before the vortex ended at the ceiling and she crashed down hard... onto something rather soft.

Or rather, someone rather soft.

He groaned and she quickly rolled off of him onto the floor. The Nine of Clubs scrambled away from her, staring, white-faced like he had seen a ghost.

Alice pulled herself to her feet, and started toward him. "Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out her hand to help him up.

But he just scrambled to his feet and rushed away from her, mumbling frantically. She made out something about coming through ceilings and can't Wonderland heroes use doors like other people, before he rounded the corner and was gone.

She started to go after him, but she skidded to a halt at the end of the hallway. She could hear gunfire, and the sound of muffled yelling and fighting.

What? No! This wasn't right. She had been sure, by Hatter's timeline, that the attack on the palace hadn't taken place until the third night after she had left. Only one night had passed in her world, and she had left fairly early in the morning. She should have had a day and a half to come, warn Jack and Hatter about the attack and tell them who was behind the tea sales, then rescue Charlie and escape with him back into her world before the fighting even started.

It didn't make sense.

"Hurry!" The word echoed through the hallway around her, and she turned to see a matted-looking brown tabby sitting in the middle of the floor, watching her with wide green-gold eyes.

"What's going on?" Alice demanded.

"Hurry!"

Alice stamped her foot angrily. "Why is there already fighting going on? It isn't supposed to be happening yet!"

The Cheshire bared its teeth and hissed at her. "Hurry!" Then it disappeared.

"Dammit!" The Cheshire had opened the looking glass for her, but had altered the timeline again and sent her straight to the night of the battle. She needed a plan B, immediately, and she hadn't even had time to fully formulate the now-defunct plan A. Panic welled up in her chest, and she fought it down with a couple of slow, deep breaths.

Nothing in Wonderland was ever simple.

…

"Think Alice!" She paced back and forth in the hallway, trying to figure out what to do. Rescue Charlie, naturally. But she would have to do it without Hatter seeing her, or he would likely take unnecessary risks to ensure her safety. She knew he had come back through the looking glass, safe. Battered, but safe. But she knew by going back to change things, she was putting that outcome at risk as well.

Save Charlie. And change as little else as possible. That was Plan B.

She just wish she knew how she was going to pull Plan B off.

First things first. She needed to get her bearings, figure out where in the palace she was in relation to the Looking Glass Hall. Thanks to the card-motif décor, most of the hallways looked the same, and at the moment, she had no point of reference, even if she did know her way around the palace.

If only Nine hadn't run off.

She sighed, and headed in the direction he had gone. He was nowhere in sight when she rounded the corner, but she was coming across signs of the fighting now. Injured and dead fighters, some in suits, some in drab street-clothes, lay scattered about the halls that she passed through. And the sounds of fighting were getting louder.

She knew that the smart thing to do would be to head away from the fighting, and from safety try to find a route to the looking glass. But something was telling her to go this way, even if it would take her right by the fighting.

She pressed herself against the wall and edged toward the next hallway. Cautiously, she peered around the corner.

Chaos would be the only way to describe it. Everywhere she looked, there were people fighting, some with weapons, many hand to hand. The staccato of gunfire echoed in the spacious hallway, but the majority of the mob had no firepower.

A different route was definitely in order. She was starting to back away when she saw him. A very small man, all in a panic, running around in circles in the middle of the fray. In spite of his chaotic movements, Dormie was successfully dodging any major altercations. But his presence here meant...

She saw his arm, shooting through the crowd and grabbing a hold of Dormie by his jacket, before she actually saw him. But there he was, already battered and bleeding from being in the fight. And in that horrible moment, she realized what she was about to witness.

No! She peeled her eyes off of Hatter and Dormie, and frantically scanned the crowd for the other familiar face she knew, from Hatter's story, would be there. Where was he? It was hard to pick out individual faces in the turmoil in front of her.

She glance back. Hatter was a little ahead of the mob, and had a terrified looking Dormie pinned to the wall. He wasn't paying attention to the fight at all, and that fact alarmed Alice greatly.

She scanned the crowd again. Where was Dodo? Then she saw the portly, black-robed figure, close to the far wall from where she stood. And she could see that he had spotted the duo at the front of the crowd. Then he reached into his robes, and she saw a faint glint of metal.

In that moment, she forgot what she had told herself about changing as little as possible. She couldn't just watch Dodo shoot at Hatter... again. In her minds eye, she could still picture the library, Dodo pulling the trigger, and Hatter flying backwards as the bullet hit him in the chest. Only this time, Hatter wasn't wearing any body armor.

She barely knew what she was doing as she charged forward. Being in the fray was extremely disorienting, and she was having a hard time keeping her eye on Dodo, and avoiding potential attackers at the same time.

Dodo raised his gun.

Alice dodged a swinging fist.

Dodo's face twisted into a sneer as he placed his finger on the trigger.

A large man in a Diamond suit stepped between her and her target.

Mustering all her strength. Alice tackled the man, causing him to fall against Dodo.

And Dodo's gun went off.

…

**AN: Not sure if I will have the next chapter up before Christmas but I will try ('tis the busy season). If not, Merry Christmas all! Cheers!**


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: So sorry for the incredibly long update time. My mind has been hijacked by the new Primeval series, and refused to stay on my Alice stories for more then a paragraph or two at a time. Finally was able to get this chapter written, and get it up, and I am already working on the next. So, thanks for your patience, hope you are still with me here.**

**Cheers! Happy reading!**

...

The resounding crack of a gunshot.

_Her father groaning, slumping in her arms, his weight pulling him away from her to crumple to the floor. _

"_Daddy, it's my fault."_

_The light slowly draining from her father's eyes, a red halo growing on the floor. She had just found him, just gotten him back, and she was losing him again._

"_I'm sorry Jellybean. You're on your own."_

"_No!" A sob, tearing through her chest._

But it isn't Walrus shooting. It's Dodo. He's shooting at Hatter.

_Hatter, flying backwards, into a pile of books. She can only see his legs, but he isn't moving. She's sure he is dead. He had been only inches from the barrel of the gun when it went off._

"_Hatter!"_

_He's running after her, tackling Dodo. He's alive after all. He's wearing body armor._

He isn't wearing body armor this time.

…

Something hard and solid collided with Alice's stomach. She shuddered back to reality, gasping for breath and trying to regain her balance. She couldn't quite dodge the next hit either, the fist colliding with her ribcage, and sending her spiraling backwards. If she hadn't crashed into someone else, she would have fallen entirely.

Her attacker, the large man in the Diamond suit, pressed forward, barely giving her a chance to recover. Over his shoulder, she could see Dodo's retreating form. But she didn't have time to think about it now, because the suit was swinging at her again. This time, she dodged and caught his arm, flipped him before he could react. The man gave a surprised yelp as he crashed hard to the ground, and in a heart stopping second, Dodo turned.

His eyes met Alice's across the crowd, and his entire countenance darkened as he scowled hatefully at her. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but it looked like he was cursing, and she was sure she saw his lips form the word "oyster", but she had no time to think about it further, as a hand wrapped around her ankle and yanked her leg out from under her.

Alice was bruised and in a fair bit of pain by the time she made it back to the far wall, and around the corner to catch her breath. She had been woefully unprepared for the fight she had been in, and knew she was lucky to not have been badly hurt, or worse. She had run, completely unarmed, into a battlefield.

Chock it up to yet another instance of her not being careful in Wonderland. In her world, there was no way she would have run in unprepared, to tackle a dangerous man with a gun.

A gun. Dodo's gun had gone off. He had shot at Hatter and Dormie. She peered around the corner, desperately scanning the crowd. Dodo was nowhere to be seen, but she couldn't see Hatter either. Panic started to grip her stomach again, and she fought against it. She marked approximately where she thought she had last seen Hatter, then retreated around the corner again.

If she was going back in, she needed to be prepared.

The idea of touching the bodies of the fallen repulsed her, but she knew she needed to arm herself if she was going back in the fray. And Dodo knew she was there now, so she was in even more at risk then before. He had shot at Hatter. What would keep him from shooting at her if he got the chance?

Most of the Wonderlanders were not well-equipped, but she did manage to find a knife. One of the fallen suits would likely be a better bet. And as she neared a dead suit, leaning against the wall, she spotted a glimmer of metal under his jacket, and breathed a sigh of relief.

…

There was blood on the wall. Nausea gripped Alice's stomach as she stared at the spattered red stain on the black and white motif. She had managed to make it through the crowd this time without much incident. Most of the fighters had moved past the mark, though there were still plenty to be contended with.

She was sure this was where she had last seen Hatter, before she had tried to stop Dodo. And she found herself desperately hoping that the blood was once again Dormie's. Because if it was Hatter's...

_Hatter flying backwards into a pile of books. She can only see his legs, but they aren't moving. But now he is on the casino floor. The books have disappeared. And there is a bright red halo spreading from his body. His eyes are open, but they are empty, staring up into hers._

No, no, no, no, no! Alice forced her eyes open.

"Focus, Alice!" she snarled at herself. "Find Hatter. If he's hurt, he won't be far."

She hadn't noticed how many people in the crowd had fallen. There were so many more then what she had come across in the hall. Now that she was having to look, having to check if Hatter was among them, she felt horribly dizzy and ill, and she started trembling uncontrollably. "Where are you Hatter?" she whispered, a lump rising in her throat, threatening to cut off her air.

She shouldn't have heard the whimper. It was barely audible, unlike the din of the fighting.

"Dormie!" She threw herself in his direction. The small man was sprawled against the wall, trembling and twitching. His eyes were closed, and he was mumbling. When she got close enough, she could make it out. "Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle..." She couldn't tell if he was sleeping or unconscious.

"Dormie!" She reached her hand to shake him, but pulled back at the last second. The right side of his oversized suit jacket was covered in blood. She was trembling again as she peeled it back, gently in case it was stopping a wound. But there was no blood underneath. Dormie wasn't hit. It wasn't his blood.

Hatter. A wave of panic and nausea swept through her before she could stop it.

She took a deep breath, gripped Dormie's shoulder and firmly shook the little man.

Dormie didn't open his eyes, but started muttering again, "... that begins with M, such as mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness..."

Alice growled in frustration. Hatter could be dying, and Dormie seemed to be asleep. "Dormie!" She yelled it this time, and slapped him hard across the face.

Dormie jumped up with a shriek, and started twitching and trembling fiercely, and flailing his arms about so that Alice had to actually jump back to avoid being hit. When he saw her, he gave a surprised gasp and sank back against the wall.

"Alice!" he squeaked. "What are you doing here?"

"Where's Hatter?" Alice demanded. She was trembling and feeling close to losing it entirely.

"I don't know." Dormie was looking around frantically for his friend.

Alice swallowed hard, not wanting to ask the next question. "Is he... is he hurt?"

Dormie looked down at his jacket, as if noticing the blood for the first time. He seemed to recoil from it, becoming even smaller within the oversized piece. "It... it's not my blood," he squeaked finally. Then his head fell forward, and he began snoring and muttering again.

…

Hatter wasn't among the bodies. That offered Alice a tiny grain of comfort, but did little to quell the growing horror in her stomach. She had interfered, changed things. She had saved Dormie's life, but would it be at the cost of Hatter's?

…

**AN: So, maybe I am a tease and didn't answer the question of "is Hatter okay?" Guess you'll just have to wait for next chapter, which I promise I will try to have up faster then this last one. Kudos to anyone who was able to pick out the quotes from the original Alice in Wonderland book.**

**Thanks for reading, please review. Cheers!**


	37. Chapter 37

**AN: Sorry once again for the incredibly long delay in updating. This proved to be a very difficult chapter to write. But, if it is any consolation, it is a long one! :)**

**Enjoy. And please review.**

...

"Hatter! Hatter!"

She didn't care anymore if he knew she was here or not. She needed to find him, to make sure that he was okay. The image of Dormie's blood-soaked suit jacket haunted her mind.

She now knew that she could, in fact, change things. When she had woken up that morning, missing Charlie and trying to figure out what she could do to save him, a part of her had wondered if any of it actually could be changed. She had never been a particular science fiction buff, but what she remembered from a movie or two, people that traveled back in time didn't change what had happened, but were rather the catalyst for what had already occurred.

She didn't know if she had just proved the theory wrong, or if it was just another Wonderland oddity that she was able to change things, but either way, she had changed it. Dormie was alive this time. And Hatter...

Hatter was missing. And there was a lot of blood.

"Please don't be dead," Alice whispered under her breath, before calling his name again. "Hatter!"

"You're running out of time!"

Charlie's voice echoed, angrily, off of the walls and the ceiling of the hall. And Alice stopped short. The brown, tabby cat glared up at her from the floor, its green-yellow eyes blazing.

"Where's Hatter?" Alice looked pleadingly at the Cheshire. "Is he okay?"

"You're running out of time!" The words echoed off the walls again.

"Where's Hatter?" Alice was more insistent this time. "I have to find him."

The Cheshire hissed at her.

And Alice lost it. "Damn it, you stupid cat!" she screamed at it. "I was going to save Charlie, and warn Jack, and make sure everyone was okay, but you didn't give me enough time! And now Hatter's been shot and I can't find him! Where is he?"

She glared at the brown tabby, and it glared back at her, and for a moment, they were locked in a battle of wills. Finally, the tabby turned and stalked away.

"Wait!" Alice started to run after it.

Part way up the hall, it turned and looked at her again. A very pointed look. And that's when she noticed it.

A familiar looking piece of brown canvas. Hatter's jacket, the one he wore the day they had been reunited in her world. She blinked at it in surprise, trying to remember if that was the jacket he had been wearing the last time he had gone through the looking glass. Then she shook her head, and dove forward, picking it up.

Like Dormie's, the right side of the jacket was liberally spattered in gore, but most of the blood was on the back of it and the sleeve, not the front. And as she examined the cloth, she gasped in relief. There was no blood on the inside of the jacket. And no bullet holes.

The blood wasn't his either. She felt her legs grow wobbly and she dropped the jacket and slumped against the wall to regain herself. Hatter was okay. He was alive. And thanks to her, so was Dormie.

Someone else had died. She tried not to think about the role she may have inadvertently played in their death.

"You're running out of time!"

The Cheshire was right. Alice scrambled back to her feet. Hatter was alive. But she still needed to reach Charlie in time, still needed to save him.

"Which way to the Looking Glass Hall?"

…

He was finally clear of the fighting. He leaned briefly against the wall and took a few shaky deep breaths. There had been more than a couple of close calls in the fray, and he knew he was lucky. Not that he wasn't hurting. Pain pulsed sharply through his head from the blow he had taken to the face. His ribs complained at him with every step. His entire body felt like one massive bruise. But all things considered, it could have been much worse.

Dodo's bullet could have hit him, for instance, instead of hitting the tea-head who, at the last moment, happened to cross the bullet's path.

Hatter was still kicking himself for being so distracted. His focus had been solely on Dormie, when it wasn't safe for that to be the case. He hoped Dormie would be okay – he had passed out when the dead man had fallen on them, so Hatter had dragged him to a safe-ish spot and left him.

He pushed himself up off the wall, and noted the reddish stain that marked where he had leaned. He inspected his jacket, and retched slightly at the sight of still-wet blood, spattered liberally across the shoulder and arm of it. Shuddering, he shrugged it off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

The sounds of fighting were getting louder again. He didn't have much time. He needed to find Jack.

…

How the Cheshire managed to get her to the Looking Glass Hall before the White Rabbit, she didn't know. One minute, she had heard multiple footsteps and barked orders coming from ahead of her, the next, the sounds of the approaching incursion were behind her. But not far behind her. As she rushed up to the doors, she knew she would only have a few minutes, if that.

To say the two men were both surprised to see her was an understatement. Ten had initially pulled a gun from somewhere in his robes, but had quickly secreted it away again when he realized he wasn't dealing with a threat. Charlie wasn't quite sure what had hit him, and looked rather stunned.

She had practically launched herself at Charlie, wrapping her arms around him tightly and ignoring how uncomfortable it was to hug unyielding armor. Seeing him alive after hearing about his death, dreaming about his death, overwhelmed her entirely for a moment and put all other thoughts out of her head.

It was Ten who brought her back to the present again. "Lady Alice, what are you doing here?" The last he had seen, she had gone back through the glass, days earlier. He hadn't been told she was back. And it rather alarmed him that she was.

Charlie was still staring at her in shock, but he finally found his voice. "JustAlice, it isn't safe here for you."

Alice swallowed against a retort about being a black belt, because the truth was she knew it wasn't safe for her. But, "It isn't safe for you either, Charlie!" She looked intently at her friend in his dented white armor. "You have to come with me. We have to get out of here!"

Charlie straightened and set his chin defiantly. "I have sworn to guard the looking glass."

Alice gave a small huff of frustration. "Charlie, there are a lot of bad men on their way to this hall, and they will kill you. We have to get you out of here." The backs of her eyes started to prickle, and the last word came out pleading. "Please!"

Charlie opened his mouth to respond, but it was too late. The doors at the head of the looking glass hall flung open, and numerous suits, some carrying boxes, others holding weapons, flooded the room. Alice and Ten barely had time to grab Charlie and pull him behind his wooden contraption to avoid being seen.

…

Jack sank back onto the edge of the bed, feeling completely defeated. All of Wonderland seemed to be conspiring against him, and he was running out of options and out of allies. "What should I do?" He hated how feeble his voice came out.

Hatter was silent for a moment, trying to come up with a plan. Really, he only saw one option.

"If the fight comes here, ten guards are not going to be able to stop them. We need to get you and Duchess out of here. You need to go through the looking glass, find Alice, and stay there until it is safe." Hatter breathed out a sigh. "Take the ring with you."

Hatter hoped that the looking glass was still a viable option. If the looking glass hall was overrun, he wasn't sure what a good plan B would entail.

"Is the camera monitor in this room?"

Jack turned from his preparations and pointed at a small alcove. Hatter left Jack and Duchess to get ready, and rushed over to the screen. He smirked faintly as he remembered the games he and Alice had played with it. Now, as it hummed to life, it revealed the Looking Glass Hall. Hatter breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was still empty. He knew that they wouldn't have much time, but the escape route was still potentially viable.

Then movement caught his eye, flashes of black and white, near the edge of the one feed. He squinted at the screen, his brow knit. Then he realized what he was seeing. Charlie was there, and so was the Ten of Clubs. And they were both racing around, working on some sort of contraption that Charlie had in the corner of the room. The camera angle wasn't right to see what it was, but Hatter almost laughed when he realized what they were doing. "Brilliant, Charlie!" he said, out loud.

Jack reappeared behind him. "What are they doing?" he asked, staring at the screen.

Hatter turned toward Jack. "Setting traps," he stated. "Hope they work."

He turned to look Jack over, and in doing so, failed to see that the door to the looking glass hall had opened once again. She was only visible on the feed for a few seconds before she was off-side. A woman with dark brown hair, wearing oyster clothing.

"Do you have the ring?"

Jack placed his hand on his chest, over the hidden pocket.

"Good."

But Jack paused, looking concerned. "How are you going to be able to get word to us that things are safe if you don't have the stone to operate the looking glass?"

Hatter paused. He actually hadn't thought of that. His only thought had been to get the ring safely away. "I'll... think of something," he said finally. "All that matters right now is that it doesn't fall in the wrong hands."

Duchess appeared behind Jack, dressed loosely in a pair of Jack's trousers and a button-down that was entirely too big for her, but was undone enough to show off some of her ample cleavage. That woman could make anything look sexy.

Hatter shook his head. Not the time. "Let's go then. We have to hurry."

But Duchess froze, her eyes going wide. She stared past Hatter at the monitor. "It's too late," she whispered.

…

They weren't hidden. If someone looked in their direction, they would see the three figures, attempting to hide behind the rough wooden contraption. But the suits were fairly singularly focused on the looking glass.

Charlie had somehow moved, miraculously without his armor clanking, to be protectively in front of Alice, though still behind Ten. He was certainly a far braver Charlie then the man they had first met in the woods, and Alice couldn't help but feel proud of him, in spite of the fact that it was this new-found bravery that had ultimately led to his death. But she pushed the thought out of her mind. Right now, she needed to figure out how to keep him alive... and get them all out of here if possible.

Which got infinitely more difficult when Agent White entered – and then ordered the door barred. Alice cursed quietly, causing Charlie to twist and give her a chastising look for her unladylike speech. It would almost have been comical if the situation wasn't so tense.

Alice knew that at any moment the room was going to become a battleground. Hatter had said something about the Resistance fighting them, and that the room had been chaos. She wished they had a better hiding spot. And she wished she had more time to come up with a plan.

…

Hatter watched the feed intently, cursing inwardly and sometimes outwardly, at every new development. Getting Jack through the looking glass was no longer an option. And if that wasn't bad enough, Agent White, who was not as dead as they had hoped, was the one behind the tea sales, and now had a small army of White Rabbit agents and a large shipment of tea in the looking glass hall, preparing to go through to Alice's world.

Hatter had lost sight of Charlie and Ten, and hoped that they had gotten themselves out of there, but a sudden movement on the door's feed drew his attention and more cursing ensued. Charlie was still behind the contraption, and his sudden movement had drawn the attention of Agent White himself. And the net that Charlie was apparently loosing only caught a few of the suits, and not its intended target.

Dammit, Charlie was still in there! But Hatter barely had a chance to process that thought before the camera feed from above the door began to shake, and the door shattered inward. And another army flooded through.

And then the camera fell.

And Hatter's heart jumped into his throat as he stared in horror.

Even though the image was sideways, there was no mistaking what he was seeing. Huddled in the corner, as far behind a wooden contraption as they could get, were three figures. Ten of Clubs, in his usual black robes. Charlie, in stark contrast with his white armor. And Alice.

Alice! Hatter blinked hard and stared at the feed again, only seconds before it went black.

"NO! Alice!"

He immediately switched his attention to the feed from the looking glass, frantically searching. Panic gripped him as he stared into the chaos and fighting. The angle wasn't right. He couldn't see.

What the hell was Alice doing here? She was supposed to be safe at home in her world!

Both Jack and Duchess stood back and stared at him as he wheeled away from the monitor, his right fist clenched, and rushed toward the door. They had barely seen the feed – barely seen what he had obviously seen, but neither doubted.

Alice was in trouble. And getting in Hatter's way wouldn't be wise.

"What should we do?" Duchess called at him as he approached the door.

Hatter barely paused to glance at the royal couple. "Get somewhere safe!" he shouted, then he was gone.

…

Jack stared mutely at the door for a long moment after Hatter disappeared, but when he turned toward his Charlotte, there was resolve in his eyes. He pulled her into his arms and kissed the side of her head. "Find somewhere safe to hide, Charlotte," he whispered into her ear.

She pulled away, staring at him with those large blue eyes. "Where are you going?"

Jack took a deep breath. "I have to help." He turned away and reached for the door, but a hand sliding into his stopped him.

"I'm coming with you," Charlotte's voice whispered back.

…

Hatter had never run so fast, in spite of the agony from his likely-cracked ribs that made it hard for him to catch his breath. The few seconds of a sideways image haunted his mind, pressing him on like a madman. He didn't know how Alice had gotten here, or why she had come, but she was here, and in typical fashion was right at the heat of trouble again.

He paused, only for a moment, trying to get his bearings. Why did all the bloody halls in this palace have to look identical? He cursed again, and listened for the sounds of fighting to guide him.

Something small and brown flashed along the floor, disappearing around a corner. Hatter broke into a run once again, following it. The matted brown tabby didn't spare him a glance, just ran even faster down the next hall.

…

Charlie had nearly gotten them all killed.

Annoyed at the failure of the trap he rigged, he had moved, very suddenly and without warning, to manually trip it. Alice had grabbed for him at the last moment, but he had been too fast. And the sudden movement had caught Agent White's eye.

And she knew he had seen her. His eyes were a mix of shock and venom. And he had instantly reached for his gun.

If the Resistance fighters hadn't chosen that moment to break down the door, Alice had no doubt that Agent White would have shot her. In an ironic twist, Dodo had just saved her life. Agent White was now very distracted. And thankfully Dodo hadn't noticed her.

Charlie had reappeared at her side, and she could see the alarm written on his face as he eyed the chaos going on around them. In front of both of them, Ten crouched as far behind the contraption as he could get, his gun out and pointed toward the fray, ready to shoot if anyone came close. She couldn't see his face, but the tension in his body told her that he was as terrified as they were.

"Look after Charlie. Look after Charlie. Look after Charlie." She mumbled it under her breath like a mantra, over and over. Somehow, she had to keep him safe. Somehow, she had to get them all out of this alive.

Though, easier said then done. A six of spades, aiming for one of the Resistance fighters, let off a shot and it clipped the wall mere inches from Alice's head. And a moment later, a man stumbled, tripped over part of Charlie's contraption and fell on top of Ten. Then a small brawl broke out, and Ten had to press back even further to avoid the fighters.

And in the chaos, Alice lost track of Charlie.

He had been behind her one moment, the next he was gone. Alice shot up from her position, frantically scanning the increasingly chaotic mob for any sign of the White Knight. Panic gripped her chest. Where was he? Time was running out for her to save his life. It had been in this battle that he had been killed. He had run into the fray to save a girl.

A blonde girl. In a moment, Alice saw her, broken bottle in hand, struggling through the crowd to reach a box of tea. And a split second later, Alice spotted Charlie. He was pushing through the crowd, his eyes focused intently on the girl, a look of torment in his eyes.

"CHARLIE!" She saw the suit, raising the gun, pointing it at the girl. And Charlie had almost reached her.

Alice launched herself through the crowd, the hiss of the Cheshire ringing in her ears. "Fix it!"

…

Despite the sounds of battle coming from inside the room with the shattered door, there were very few fighters in the hallway approaching. The Cheshire had disappeared again, but Hatter didn't even notice. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest as he raced for the doorway.

Alice. For the thousandth time, he asked himself what she was doing here, how she had gotten here. None of it made sense. He had sent her through the looking glass before going to find the Cheshires, and the looking glass had been shut down directly after.

For a split second, he wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake, if perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him. But his heart told him otherwise, and so he continued his mad dash through the doorway.

Utter chaos met his eyes. There had to be over eighty people in the room, of all descriptions, all fighting. He instinctively glanced toward the corner he had seen Alice in, but there was only Ten, desperately fighting against a couple of tea-heads. Charlie and Alice were gone.

Hatter scanned the crowd in full-blown panic. And at the last moment, he saw them.

Charlie was in the middle of the fray, rushing headlong into the path of a suit's gun. And Alice was close on his heels. And as Hatter watched in horror, Alice threw herself against Charlie, at the last moment knocking him off of his feet and out of harm's way.

…

The suit's gun went off. And Alice crumpled to the ground.

…

**AN: Oi, time travel makes for difficult writing. Lots of back and forth to ensure that Alice only knew what Hatter had told her, etc.**

**Hope the chapter makes sense. Please leave me constructive criticism if it doesn't (always appreciated). And please review. It really does make my day!**

**Cheers! Thanks for reading.**


	38. Chapter 38

**AN: Sorry for the ridiculously long update times... things are hectic right now, but I am trying. Thanks for staying tuned.**

…

An unearthly howl erupted from Hatter's throat as he charged across the room. Anyone who got in his way was sent flying. His eyes only saw Alice's prone form, laid out on the floor.

It took him a long moment to realize that everyone else had frozen, longer still to realize that the howling was no longer coming from him, but was rather being echoed around the room. He skidded to a stop, but only momentarily, when he saw the Cheshire, sitting atop the looking glass, looking very large and menacing, its eyes blazing. And within the looking glass, a storm was brewing.

He thought the looking glass was shattering, as it flexed outward. Desperately, he closed the last few feet and threw himself protectively over Alice's body. And was immediately engulfed by a dark, swirling vortex. The power that had always been contained by the looking glass had unleashed. He clung to Alice, fearing at any moment they would be swallowed up, but after a few seconds, he realized that, whatever the vortex was about, it was having no affect on the two of them.

And just as quickly as it emerged, the vortex disappeared, back into the glass, and the glass' surface became mirrored once again, humming lightly.

…

Jack skidded to a stop in the hallway, so fast that Duchess didn't have time to stop her own forward momentum, and crashed hard into his back, nearly knocking them both over.

He wasn't sure what it was that just erupted through the looking glass door, a dark swirling mass of energy, but if he hadn't known better he would have thought it was a rabbit hole. And just as quickly as it burst out, it retreated, and he moved forward to the doorway, just in time to see it disappear into the looking glass.

The scene that met his eyes in the looking glass hall was one of frozen chaos. Fighters of every description stood like statues, staring at the looking glass that was now clear and humming lightly. Littered among them were the bodies of the slain. There were Cheshire cats, all around the room, their eyes blazing like fire, the largest one perched on top of the looking glass itself. And cut down the middle of the battlefield was a wide stretch devoid of any fighters. There were only two figures left in the path the vortex had taken. One was Hatter. The other figure lay beneath him, not moving, her dark hair fanned out on the floor.

Alice. Jack's heart thudded painfully in his chest as he stared numbly at the two heroes. He barely felt Charlotte's hand slip into his, barely heard her own distressed gasp.

It was an unexpected but very familiar voice that pulled him back to the situation at hand.

"Command your men."

Jack wheeled to find his mentor standing at his side. Dressed in the same familiar green coat and thick glasses, but so very far from the hospital that he rarely left, was Caterpillar. He gaped at him in surprise.

"Command your men," Caterpillar ordered again.

It was then that Jack realized that Agent White was missing. And in his absence, the White Rabbit agents were looking more then a little lost. It took him only a moment longer to realize that Lord Devillius was gone as well, and that the remaining Resistance fighters were now looking to Caterpillar for direction.

Drawing himself up and schooling his features, he barked out a command to the remaining agents. "Secure the palace."

...

Hatter pulled himself up and looked down at Alice's fallen body, black despair gripping his heart and and dripping from his eyes. He hadn't felt her breath under him – he would have done anything to feel her breath under him. She was so still.

"Alice," he whimpered softly. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be safely at home in her world. Why was she here? He reached out and touched her cheek with his fingertips. She still felt warm – warm and alive. A tear splashed down onto her from his eye.

And Alice gave a pained gasp and jolted upwards.

Startled, Hatter jerked back, losing his balance and toppling to the floor again, his hat rolling to rest a few feet away. He scrambled back onto his knees, staring wide-eyed at Alice as she slumped back to the floor with a groaned out, "Ow!"

Both worlds could have ceased to exist in that moment, for all Hatter was aware of them. He just stared at Alice, tears still formed in his eyes. He grabbed her off the floor and crushed her into a tight hug.

But she squirmed and pushed away from him. "Ow... Hatter!"

He nearly dropped her for how quickly he released her. She was alive, but she had been shot. She needed medical attention. She was back on the floor, her face twisted in a grimace, but a bit of a triumphant smirk on her face as she pulled back her shirt.

…

_The idea of touching the bodies of the fallen repulsed her, but she knew she needed to arm herself if she was going back in the fray. Dodo knew she was there, and she doubted he would hesitate if the opportunity arose for him to shoot her. He would have shot her the day they first met if Hatter hadn't taken the bullet instead. And he had just shot at Hatter again, only this time Hatter wasn't wearing body armor._

_Most of the Wonderlanders were not well equipped, although she did manage to find a knife. One of the fallen suits would likely be a better bet._

_And as she neared a dead suit, leaning against the wall, she spotted a glimmer of metal under his jacket, and breathed out a sigh. Just what she needed._

_It was a lot harder then she expected to undress a full-grown man, literally dead weight. But after a long moment struggling, she had what she needed._

_Looking around to ensure that she was still alone, she stripped off her jacket and her shirt, and donned the body armor. It was slightly too big for her, but once she had her shirt and jacket back on it was practically invisible. _

_Feeling much safer, she ventured back around the corner. She needed to find Hatter. She needed to make sure he was okay._

…

"Body armor!" Hatter nearly collapsed as a wave of relief flooded him. He pulled her back up into a tight embrace. "Gods, Alice. I thought I lost you."

Alice could feel Hatter trembling against her, and his tight hug was causing the pain to radiate from the welt and undoubtedly developing bruise from where the bullet hit. But she couldn't quite bring herself to break it. Except...

"Charlie!" She pulled back and looked around wildly. "Where's Charlie?"

A clanking of armor beside her was her answer. A very overwhelmed and shell-shocked looking White Knight dropped to his knees beside her. "I'm here, JustAlice." He gazed at her for a long moment, his eyes wide and bright, before she disentangled herself from Hatter and threw herself into Charlie's arms, nearly bowling him over, and causing another wave of pain through her chest as the bruise collided with Charlie's armor.

"You're alive." Alice started to tremble as she held him tight. "I did it." Then the tears came, and the sobs started shaking her body. She had saved Charlie, and Hatter was still alive. Even Dormie had been saved. She had fixed it.

Charlie exchanged a concerned glance with Hatter, his arms still protectively around his JustAlice. Hatter leaned forward and held her as well, so she was practically buried between the two men.

And from the top of the looking glass, the Cheshire cat watched, his green-gold eyes glinting. And he grinned.

…

**AN: Only a few more chapters to go... thanks to everyone who has followed this whole story. Hope you have been enjoying it. **

**Please review (or constructively criticize). :)**


	39. Chapter 39

"Please don't do that to me again." Hatter's voice, choked with emotion, breathed over her ear. Still tightly wedged between the two men, Alice could only turn her head to see Hatter's face, as wet as hers, his eyes tormented. "You aren't supposed to be here. Why did you come back through?"

Alice pulled away, breaking the embrace. She looked between Hatter and a confused and awkward-looking Charlie. "I had to come," she stated. "You came back through the looking glass, and you told me... that..." She took a long steadying breath and gazed again at Charlie's very alive and uninjured person for a moment, reassuring herself, before she continued. "... that Charlie had been killed. I had to save him."

Hatter's face wrinkled in confusion. "I didn't go back through, Alice. I was with the Cheshires, and then I was here, fighting."

Alice shook her head. "You did come back through... after the battle happened the first time. The looking glass, it sent you back to before..." She trailed off when she noticed that Charlie's eyes had grown impossibly bright. "Charlie?"

"You came back to save... me?" The White Knight was trembling now, his metal armor clanking slightly, and his voice was thick with emotion and disbelief.

Alice nodded. And found herself once again crushed against Charlie's armor.

Hatter's mind and emotions felt like they were flying a thousand directions at once. He knew, once things were safe, that he and Alice had a lot of talking to do. He still didn't fully understand what had happened, but now was not the time.

Because they weren't alone.

The fighters were gone, save the dead and badly injured, though Hatter hadn't noticed them go. He had a vague recollection of hearing Jack giving orders, but his focus had been on Alice alone. But now Jack was back, along with the Ten of Clubs, several of the Aces from the council, and a group of armed suits. How Jack had managed to get such a group together so swiftly, and while a battle was still waging in parts of the palace, was a mystery. But they strode in with an undeniable sense of urgency.

Charlie and Alice pulled apart, and all three scrambled to their feet as the group moved toward the looking glass.

"What's going on?" Hatter asked as they approached where he stood.

"We have to go through the glass," Jack stated. "Agent White and Lord Devillius are in your world."

Alice gasped, then started to curse. Hatter's words, back when she had been rushing toward the looking glass to come change things, sprang to the front of her mind. "_I was lucky to escape alive, and I probably wouldn't have if the Cheshires hadn't stopped things by banishing Agent White and Dodo here."_

"The Cheshires," she muttered, and cursed again. "They banished Agent White and Dodo to my world."

Alice shifted uncomfortably, aware that everyone was now staring at her.

But Jack agreed. "And some of their fighters. And the tea." He nodded at one of the suits, who placed the Stone of Wonderland into its box, then stood guard, weapon drawn. "We have to go through and get them. Wonderland is in very real danger of being found out."

Hatter bit his lip, stifling his own cursing. "I'm coming with you."

"I am too," Alice insisted.

But Hatter turned to her, his eyes wide and almost frightened. "Alice, please. Please stay here. It's..." He winced at the word about to come out of his mouth, a word he knew better then to say to her. "... dangerous." Before Alice had a chance to react, to remind him that she was a black belt, he continued. "I thought I lost you once today... please." The last word was a whisper, choked out around the lump of emotions in his throat. But it had the desired effect.

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "I'll stay here with Charlie."

The Ten of Clubs looked between the three – Charlie, Alice and Hatter – before turning to Hatter. "Maybe you should stay too." He could see, emotionally and physically, that Hatter was at the end of his strength. "We'll handle this."

But Hatter shook his head adamantly. "I'll be fine."

This time Alice took his hand, turned him to face her. "Hatter, I nearly lost you today too. Dodo wants to kill you..."

Another "I'll be fine" died on his lips as he looked into Alice's eyes. The last weeks had been a trial on them both, but nothing so bad as believing that the other had died. And just as suddenly, he was aware of how weary and hurting he really was.

But at the same time, the overwhelming need to protect Alice, the need that had been his constant companion since the day she had walked into his tea shop, battled within him. Two of the most dangerous men in all of Wonderland were somewhere in Alice's world. The world he and Alice lived in, and would be going back to. Dodo and Agent White had to be stopped.

Alice watched Hatter's face intently, read his hesitation, read his determination. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and Hatter breathed out a puff of breath, though he did not relax into her embrace.

Most of the men were through the glass now, and Ten and Jack stood at the brink, watching him.

Hatter took Alice's hands in his, behind his back, and drew them to the front, squeezing them tightly. He knew what he had to do. He had to make sure that Alice's world would always be safe for her. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to look into hers as he answered her unspoken _don't go. _ "I have to, Alice."

…

It hadn't even been five minutes but it felt like an eternity.

Alice paced back and forth in front of the looking glass, anxious and impatient, waiting for someone, anyone to come back through and let her know what was going on. She was regretting now, agreeing to stay back with Charlie, especially since Hatter had refused to agree to the same and stay safely in Wonderland.

Charlie was babbling, something about her being his champion, that the stars were aligned, that his life belonging to her now, since she had saved it, and how she was truly JustAlice of Legend. After protesting a couple of times, she found herself simply tuning it out, as her worries about Hatter grew louder and louder.

Why did Hatter have to go with them? Dodo had tried to shoot him once already today. What if Dodo got a second chance? And what would happen if Jack's men weren't enough to capture them all? Agent White or Dodo loose in her world would be a catastrophe. And what were they going to do about the tea? Tea had destroyed Wonderland. What could it do to her world? And why hadn't anyone come back yet?

Unable to take it any longer, Alice gave a howl of frustration. Charlie fell silent, and he and the remaining suit stared at her like she had lost her mind.

"Dammit, Hatter!" And with that, Alice charged straight at the looking glass. Behind her, she heard Charlie start to protest, but then the swirling vortex swept her away.

…

"What are we supposed to do with them, then?"

Hatter felt very much on the outside of the conversation, as the Aces, Ten and Jack huddled together, discussing the most recent, and most disturbing turn of events.

When they had come through the looking glass, they had found that none of the banished Wonderlanders had gone far. Apparently, the battle had continued on this side of the looking glass. The dead bodies of several suits and a few Resistance fighters littered the area in front of the looking glass, with shots still being fired between the two groups.

Jack's men, however, had managed to subdue the group, rather swiftly. But that was when the real hitch had occurred.

Jack's entire plan had been to retrieve the banished leaders and their fighters, bring them back through the looking glass to be dealt with in Wonderland. He had never imagined that the looking glass would not let the banished Wonderlanders back through. But as his men had pushed the first of the fighters through, the poor agent had nearly been rendered unconscious by his collision with the solid glass surface. Several other attempts yielded the same result.

Those that had been banished could not be returned. The looking glass was no longer a passage for them.

"We can't let them stay here."

"What choice do we have? We can't get them back through."

"We have to figure something out."

Hatter's anxiety rose with every passing moment. He paced back and forth in front of the looking glass, cursing silently and straining to catch all that was being said by the Aces and Jack. But his mind was flying a million miles a minute.

Protecting Alice from the dangers of Wonderland just got far more difficult. Why did the Cheshire have to banish them to Alice's world? Why couldn't he just have killed them or banished them to the Forest of Wabe to be eaten by the jabberwock?

He was torn from his thoughts by a soft thud behind him. He wheeled around to find Alice, struggling to regain her balance behind him.

"Alice!" It came out as a surprised yelp. And he instantly realized his mistake.

Dodo had shot a dark glare in Hatter's direction when he had come through the glass, snarling at him but keeping his distance, due to the guns of several of Jack's suits being trained on him. But the issues with the looking glass had drawn his attention, and he too had been trying to hear what was being discussed with the king.

But at Hatter's shocked declaration, his head had whipped around, and surprise had been replaced with a sinister smirk that had spread across his features.

As Hatter watched in horror, a gun appeared in Dodo's hand, drawn from the depths of his robe. And, sneering at Hatter, he raised it and pointed it at Alice.

…

Two shots rang out.

And Alice gasped, instantly thrown back to the day in the casino, when Walrus had aimed his gun at her, moments after shooting her father. All she had heard were the deafening pops of gunfire, and it had taken her a moment to realize that it was Hatter, emptying his gun into Walrus' chest.

Only this time, it was Dodo that fell.

Hatter hadn't even had time to think. The gun he had taken from a dead fighter, far earlier in the battle, was in his hand in an instant. It only had two bullets, but both hit their mark. And the instant the shots had been fired, Hatter dropped the gun and reached for Alice, pulling her tightly behind him. And she could feel him trembling.

Chaos ensued again as everyone started ducking for cover and shooting again. The suits struggled to regain control of the fighters and protect the king.

But the gunfire only died down as another sound started to replace it. The sound of wailing sirens... a lot of wailing sirens.

…

Charlie had been fidgeting frantically, one moment moving toward the looking glass, the next pulling back again as an inner argument ensued in his head, complimented by the occasional verbal outburst. The suit left guarding the ring watched in amazement, wondering if all of Wonderland's heroes were a touch mad.

"For JustAlice!" Charlie finally burst out, pulling his sword from its sheath and charging toward the looking glass.

Only to be knocked completely off his feet in the rush of people pouring back through the looking glass.

…

**AN: Hopefully the chapter wasn't too chaotic. I mean, yes, chaotic in a good way, but hopefully understandable and easy to read. Constructive criticism welcome. **

**Please review! Cheers!**


	40. Chapter 40

**AN: Sorry, sorry, sorry for the horribly long update time. I have writer's block in the extreme, and there have been literally weeks where I have written only a single paragraph... argh.**

**Reviews and constructive criticism always welcome!**

...

They would be going home tomorrow. Finally. It had been a week since the battle. A week that they would have to explain away to Alice's coworkers and to Alice's mother, but it couldn't be helped.

As soon as everyone had sprawled back into the looking glass hall, Jack had immediately shut down the portal. Then after a moment at the controls, he had opened it again. Apparently there was a looking glass in London as well, and Jack had contacts there. And those contacts were able to connect with other contacts in New York. Hatter was amazed to find that Wonderland had an intricate web of personnel on the other side of the looking glass, spread across London and New York, and apparently several other locations of interest to Wonderland.

And thanks to this web, Hatter and Alice were kept appraised of what was transpiring, on the other side of the looking glass.

In the aftermath of the deadly gunfight that had occurred there, and the subsequent discovery of large quantities of the controversial new rave drug, the warehouse was being regarded as a high-priority crime scene and was under heavy police guard.

The majority of the banished Wonderlanders had managed to elude police capture, but the authorities did have four of them in custody. To Hatter's great relief, he was informed that Agent White was among the captured. Charges were pending for the murders of the five bodies found in the warehouse that night. The large quantities of tea had been seized as well, and while no drug charges could be laid, as the drug was too new to the market to be classified illegal yet, charges of manslaughter in the deaths of the three youths who had died from taking it were being considered as well.

The other Wonderlanders would need to be found, to be outfitted with identification and the means to survive and blend in. The contacts had found two so far, but it had been determined that a permanent task force would be needed, to find the rest, keep an eye on them, and help them to integrate. There were few among the banished that were of any real concern, security wise. Without their leaders, most of them were likely just feeling very lost.

And word had finally come, that afternoon, that the looking glass had been moved to a new, safe location, and could be reopened as a portal. How they had managed to get the mirror out of the warehouse without being detected would remain a mystery, but Hatter was relieved that he and Alice could finally go home.

It had been an eventful week in Wonderland as well, both good and bad.

The palace was still in shambles after the battle that had been waged in its halls, but cleanup and rebuilding was well underway, although the area would only be serving as such until construction of a more permanent and secure palace, outside of the city, was complete. All evidence of the battle had been swept away in the Looking Glass Hall, and the room had been fitted with much stronger doors.

With the help of a former agent, the new casino was found and dismantled before it could ever produce a single drop of tea. The White Rabbit, or what remained of it, similarly had been dismantled, and it was determined that any further reconnaissance with Alice's world would be conducted by a small, trusted group of Jack's men, headed up by the Ten of Clubs.

Hatter had been forced to stand trial, again, this time for the death of Lord Devillius. When word had reached the Spades that it had been the Hatter that had killed him, there was a general cry of outrage, and accusations that his death was murder, the result of the hard feelings evident between the two, not defense as had been claimed. It was a long, grueling day of witnesses speaking for and against him, Alice losing her temper more then once, and him feeling much like he had the first day he had returned, only this time there was one significant difference.

Jack spoke up and defended him. Despite the outrage. Despite the risks of not remaining neutral in the proceedings. He gave insight into what had occurred, into the madness that had been slowly consuming Dodo since Hatter and Alice's return to Wonderland. And he had confirmed witness accounts that Dodo had pulled a gun to shoot Alice first.

The charges had been dropped, but Hatter knew that Jack would have to tread carefully with the Spades for some time to come.

But Jack finally seemed up to the task. Without a drop of Calm or Peace (though there were moments that he had wished he could have some), he had faced the council, ready to be the king that Wonderland needed. He knew that it would be a long road, that some of the council would not easily hand him back the power of his position, but for the sake of Wonderland, for the sake of moving forward and rebuilding, he would fight for it.

And he would do it with the Duchess by his side, as his queen. After all that had happened, and the love they had clung to through it, Jack and Charlotte had decided to move the wedding date forward, and would be marrying in the next month. Alice and Hatter had agreed to come back for the event, and Alice was ecstatic at the idea of coming to Wonderland on happy business for once.

The fallout of the past few weeks would take months to sort out. Fixing Wonderland would likely take years. But as Hatter lay on the bed, watching Alice sleeping beside him, he couldn't help but feel surprisingly hopeful.

Sighing contentedly, he settled back and closed his eyes.

…

And opened them again in a heartbeat. He could sense it, even before he heard the low rumble of a purr. From the foot of the bed, a matted looking brown tabby regarded him with unblinking yellow-green eyes.

And it grinned.

FINIS... ?

**AN: Was going to be a couple chapters longer, but this way it leaves itself open to a few spinoff stories (once my existing stories are out of the way). Hope you have enjoyed. Thanks all for the wonderful reviews. You all rock!**


	41. Chapter 41

**AN: Sorry, this isn't a new chapter...**

**Trying to write the finale to this story, I realized that I had already written the perfect ending with the last chapter. There were going to be two more chapters... Hatter's conversation with the Cheshire and Jack and Duchess' wedding.**

**But, instead (once I have a few less irons on the fire) I will be doing a spinoff story "Conversations with a Cheshire" which will explore the history of the Cheshires and the Hatters. **

**I will also do a one-shot of Jack and Charlotte's wedding, for those of you who are interested. It just worked better for Tea and Tension to end where it did... open ended for a possible sequel or three... lol.**

**Thank you all for reading and all the fantastic reviews! You have been wonderful! Much love!**

**...**

(For those of you following my other stories, I apologize for the long update times... I have been on a bit of an involuntary hiatus and new chapters should be up very shortly for all of them... stay tuned and thanks very much for your patience)**  
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